


seven types of ambiguity; 1957

by endlesspossibilities



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Copious Amounts of Denial, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Fluff, Slow Burn, exhibit designer nico, photographer karolina
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2019-11-05 19:36:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17925053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endlesspossibilities/pseuds/endlesspossibilities
Summary: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, or the Met, is a place of wonder. Nico has lived in the city her whole life and while she doesn’t romanticize it the way tourists and transplants do, she has a soft spot for the Met. Now, she’s 22 and entering into her final semester of college at Columbia and she gets to spend the next three months working at the Met. Interning, to be clear, but it feels like a big deal. Like, all those years of wearing in paths of contemplation are coming to fruition.Of course, that's before she's paired with an annoyingly cheerful blonde for a semester-long project that has the potential to be Nico's way into the art world. But, despite Nico's general disdain for all things sunny and sweet, she can't seem to get Karolina out of her mind.





	1. Lotus Sutra

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, or the Met, is a place of wonder. Nico has lived in the city her whole life and while she doesn’t romanticize it the way tourists and transplants do, she has a soft spot for the Met. She remembers spending hours there as a child, staring with wide eyes at the detailed portraits, the ancient marble sculptures and her favorite section, Asian Art. Nico can close her eyes and wander through the displays of katanas and teacups, the cherry blossoms and Buddha statues. 

When she turned 14, Nico asked for a membership so she could visit the museum whenever she wanted. A strange request for a teenage girl, but Nico was never very social, very normal, very happy, and this place made her happy, so they obliged. Besides, they thought, one year and she will become bored with the museum and move on. Except, Nico never did. She used the pass almost once a week, barring holidays and vacations and learned the Met from all angles. The rotating exhibits meant she never got bored and she eventually scaled it back to a more reasonable once every other week.

Now, she’s 22 and entering into her final semester of college at Columbia and she gets to spend the next three months working at the Met. Interning, to be clear, but it feels like a big deal. Like, all those years of wearing in paths of contemplation are coming to fruition. 

It’s with all of this in mind that Nico sits, dressed in all black professional attire in the Greek and Roman Art hall, waiting and gaining confidence to walk into day one of her internship. The ageless marble sculptures keep her company and she imagines herself as one, solid and strong, yet beautiful. With a quick, self-assured nod, Nico stands and slings her black satchel briefcase over her shoulder, walks to the elevator and presses the button for the basement. As the doors begin to shut, she hears a woman call out,

“Hold it, please!” 

Suddenly, a hand reaches out and stops the doors, making them slide back open. A young woman, probably Nico’s age, smiles as she steps in beside her. She’s tall, blonde and sun-kissed despite it being January in New York, and is wearing light pastel colors. She’s pretty, in the conventional ways and while she’s not interested, Nico can appreciate a beautiful woman. She pushes her bisexual thirst back, though. Nico glances over her, taking in the wide smile and bright enthusiastic eyes and has to suppress an eye roll. Nico is not a cheerful, social person and she can already tell this woman is going to talk to her. Her prediction is correct once the blonde checks that the basement button has been pushed.

“Hi! Are you here for the intern orientation too?” 

Great, the cheery stranger was an intern… 

“Yep,” Nico nods, popping the “p” and keeping her eyes forward. It only takes a second for the elevator to stop and slide open with a ding.

“That’s great! I’m Karolina, I’m going to be working in the photography curation department,” Karolina sticks her hand out to introduce herself.

“Nico, exhibition design,” Nico says, shaking the offered hand once, before walking forward, leaving Karolina behind. She’s relieved to hear that the blonde won’t be working in her area. She figures that the interaction is over, but Karolina quickly catches up. Damn, her short legs.

“That’s so cool. This internship is like a dream come true, ya know? I’m a photography major at Tisch and the collections here are unreal. I can’t wait to look at the Imogen Cunningham prints. She’s an icon,” Karolina goes on, speaking quickly, and obviously excited. Nico stops in front of the door for the meeting hall and turns toward the tall woman.

“Okay, look. You seem really... nice. I’m just not in the business of making friends, so if you’ll just excuse me,” Nico lays it all out, watching as a brief look of hurt flashes on Karolina’s face before she gives a small half smile and nods.

“Totally get it. Sorry if I bothered you,” Karolina says, “It was nice to meet you, Nico.”

Nico lets out a sigh as the woman walks into the room and finds a seat by a couple of other nervous-looking students. She doesn’t mean to be rude, but after years of putting up with unwanted pleasantries, Nico just doesn’t care. She’s here to learn and experience her favorite place in a whole new way. That’s it.

Nico selects a seat next to a guy who looks quiet and takes out her laptop to take notes. The orientation starts a few minutes later. It’s fairly straightforward, covering all the bases and then they split off into departments. Nico meets her supervisor, an older white man (ugh) and the rest of the interns in design. They all seem cool and no one tries to talk to her too much, so she’s happy. They end the day with finger foods and drinks, everyone back from their department meetings. She’s not actively looking for her, but Nico does spot the eager blonde laughing with a couple other people from the curation department. Nico isn’t going to let her gaze linger long, but the moment she goes to look away Karolina looks up and they make eye contact. Nico’s jaw tenses and she darts her eyes away, but not before noticing the other woman’s hand lifting in a small wave. She doesn’t need Karolina to think there’s hope for friendship. Surely, she made herself clear enough earlier.

Nico dumps the plastic cup of tea, it was black anyway, and makes sure to say goodbye to her supervisor before leaving quickly. She keeps her head down all the way until she’s walking down the grand steps of the museum before she sighs and slows her pace. As she heads toward the subway station, she thinks about why she reacted that way to a wave. She’s Nico fucking Minoru and no one should make her leave if she’s not ready. Nico lifts her shoulders and sets her eyes forward, more determined to make the best of her time at the Met. Next time, she will ignore the strange blonde girl. It’s just the right thing to do.

Over the next two weeks, Nico is busier than usual. Balancing her classes and working hard at her internship is hard, but entirely worthwhile. She’s behind the scenes of one of the most impressive art collections in the world and that fact is not lost on her. Nico finds herself struggling to leave for the day while lost amongst the library stacks or taking notes in meetings with high-level donors and artists. She learns about the process of pitching an exhibit and just how precise the angle of lights is within them. If she had any doubts about joining this world of art and design, they’re gone by the end of her second week. The feeling of showing her pass to security and walking through the museum, the heels of her boots clicking with purpose and ducking into the staff only section is addicting. Nico has always had a thing about authority. Growing up under the watchful eye of Tina Minoru, she didn’t always get to make a lot of decisions and she often felt like a secondary person, a backup in case Amy wasn’t as perfect as she seemed. Except her sister was always just that, perfect. The only way Nico could see herself making an impact was through rebellion. In this case, rebellion meant goth styles and embracing the art scene. 

But in the end, she is a Minoru and she likes to be the best. Nico is planning on proving this fact by having the best end-of-year project amongst her peers and earning a coveted recommendation letter from the director of the internship program. Today, they are finding out what the project is and what other departments they’ll be working with. Nico is hoping Asian Arts, imagining all the amazing culture she could work with. She wouldn’t mind designing an exhibit filled with badass armor and weaponry, either though. In fact, part of her is leaning toward this option so she can persuade her partner into focusing on women’s armor through the ages and now she’s picturing Boudicca and Joan of Arc and yeah, that’s hot. Women warriors are well-known to be a weakness of queer girls, at least this one. 

Everyone in Exhibition Design and Curation is gathered into one of the classrooms downstairs and Nico is on the outskirts, quietly chatting with a guy from her department, Victor. Finally, the presentation comes onto the screen and Elise, Head of Curation, clears her throat signaling everyone’s silence. 

“Good Evening, interns. I hope everyone has had a good first couple of weeks. As you know, we like to give you time to learn the ropes before sending you head first into the independent projects. You will still get plenty of time working under your supervisors, but here at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, we believe in challenging students to forge their own path and explore their unique style of work. For this reason, we have designed a semester-long project that gives you creative freedom and challenges your knowledge. The Mini Museum. On May 18th, each of you will present in a grand opening night, your own exhibit” Elise pauses allowing everyone to clap and take in the project.

“Now, you won’t be expected to complete this by yourself, so everyone will be assigned a partner. Yes, they have already been assigned and no, there will be no switches granted. Let’s begin,” Elise finishes up her speech and begins reading off a list of partners. 

She lists off five groups including the armory one to Nico’s disappointment. The Japanese-American still has hope for Asian Arts until she hears her name called,

“Nico Minoru and Karolina Dean from photography”

She hears a light laugh come from across the room and whips her head around to see Karolina covering her mouth with her hand and blushing with wide eyes. Elise has already moved on so no one else notices the tense staredown happening between the two familiar women. Karolina quickly wipes away the embarrassment and shifts her expression to a smirk. She shrugs and waves, earning nothing but an eye roll from Nico, who turns back toward the front to wait out the last couple of groups. Once the list is over, Elise dismisses them to go seek out their partners. Nico doesn’t move, instead, she waits until the blonde slides into the seat next to her.

“Hello, Nico,” she smiles, looking genuinely pleased.

“Karolina,” Nico greets, grumpily. She raises her eyebrow at the other woman urging her to go on.

“This is pretty funny, right? I mean the first person I meet at this thing makes it abundantly clear she has no interest in being friendly and now we’re paired up for a three-month long project? Surely even you see the humor in this,” Karrie leans into Nico’s space just slightly, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Well, I’m glad you think this is funny. Can we just exchange emails and get going?” Nico holds out her phone for the blonde. She grabs it and types in her contact info, adding her phone number as well. 

“Before you run out of here, I wanted to let you know that Elise has given me permission to alter the project just slightly…” 

“What do you mean?” Nico narrows her eyes at Karolina who at least has the decency to look nervous.

“Instead of curating the exhibit I’m actually going to be filling it with my own photography series,” Karolina explains, straightening her posture and setting her gaze. She’s daring Nico to protest. Nico stares back unfazed.

“As long as you didn’t request me as your partner I don’t really give a fuck,” the intimidating goth girl says eventually with a shrug. Immediately, Karolina blushes again and looks down at her lap.

“You didn’t.”

“Not for the reason you think! Look, I asked around and everyone said you’re the best. This has nothing to do with friendship. I don’t want to be your friend,” Karolina defends herself. Nico wants to be angry, she is angry, but she also can’t help but puff her chest at the fact that she’s already making an impression.

“Did you ever think that maybe I didn’t want to work with photography? Like maybe, this isn’t all about you?” Nico accuses, her voice cold. Karolina fumbles with her words, before sighing.

“I guess I didn’t really think that far. I’m sorry…”

“Whatever. I’ll email you in the next few days,” Nico stands abruptly. Pushing away from the table and walking out without another word to the blonde. She’s only left the Met in anger like this one other time when her parents ambushed her there to convince her to consider a career in tech like them and Amy. Nico hates when people make decisions for her. 

She scrolls through her contacts to her best friend, Alex, and presses call. 

“Nico, what’s up?” Alex picks up after a couple of rings, the sound of gunshots in the background tells her that he’s playing video games, again.

“Just wait till you hear what this bitch did,” Nico fumes, marching through the freezing sidewalks and glaring at anyone who gets in the way. She may be 5’2” but she can clear a path on these streets.

“Which one?” Alex asks with a chuckle. She can hear him pause the game and lift the phone to his ear, obviously sensing a rant.

“Remember the blonde I told you about at my orientation?”

“The annoyingly pretty one who wouldn’t shut up?”

Nico rolls her eyes, despite that being her actual description of Karolina that day.

“Yeah, well apparently she doesn’t understand boundaries like at all,” she continues,

“She requested I be her design partner for her stupid photography exhibition, so now instead of working on one of the departments I actually love, I’m stuck with her. Oh, and she’s apparently been given special privilege to use her own photography? Like who the fuck is this girl?” Nico let’s out all her frustration to her longtime best friend.

“Wow… I gotta say that’s pretty crazy that she requested you, but did she say why she requested you?” Alex responds with a more level head.

“Yeah… I guess she thinks I’m the best design intern or whatever,” Nico grumbles out the last part. Alex chuckles on the other end, beginning to understand. In his time being Nico’s confidant, Alex has seen her self-made list of enemies grow and shrink as she finds new people to hate and as she forgets about them. He’s gotten pretty good about knowing how high someone will make it on the list based on how they first get on it. 

“So, basically, you’re mad because someone thinks you’re awesome?” Alex questions Nico’s reasoning. He hears a frustrated sigh come from the woman who shakes her head at the statement.

“No, dumbass. I am angry because she took away my options. I have no interest in photography, but now I have to spend three months designing an exhibit for her and her dumb pictures!” 

There’s silence on the call as Alex thinks this over and formulates his response. He knows he has to be careful here or Nico may just hang up on him,

“Did everyone get to choose what department they wanted or was it randomly assigned?”

“Random…” Nico stops walking outside of a tea house she knows it good but doesn’t go in, yet. She stands with her phone to her ear, trying to hear what Alex is implying.

“So you might have been assigned to photography even if she didn’t ask or you may have been put in the European Art Wing, which we both know is your least favorite section,” Alex starts to break through to her with his sound logic.

“Too many white guys,” Nico grumbles, thinking about all the painters in the European section.

“I know,” Alex agrees. He’s been to the Met many times at Nico’s request (see: insistence), so he’s familiar with most of the wings at this point. 

“Look, I’m not saying what she did was okay. She should have talked to you first, but you are about to work together for three months, so I wouldn’t start that with hostility,” Alex suggests and while Nico knows that he’s right, she still groans and quickly says,

“Bye, Alex,” before hanging up.

Nico spends the next hour in the tea shop, nestling a hot cup of green tea and calming herself down. It’s a small shop, run by a Chinese couple who keep ornate glass jars of tea leaves behind the register and serve with beautiful kettles. Nico dreads the day she comes here and sees they’re shutting down. She’s watched it happen all around her city. She even cried the day she went to her favorite indie record shop and saw they were going out of business. For now, Nico tries to give her money to businesses like this one that she knows have heart and aren’t fueled by capitalistic greed.

By the time she leaves, she feels sensible enough to email Karolina once she gets home. 

It’s a short message, just exchanging contact information and asking when the next time the blonde was free to sit down and get a framework going. Nico makes sure to sound professional and not let any unresolved anger bleed through, but she’s not friendly either.

With that, she closes her email and focuses on homework and fixing herself dinner for the rest of the night.

The next time Nico opens her email is on the way to class, scrolling with her tech-friendly gloves through junk, reminders and finally, the reply from Karolina. It was sent only 30 minutes after Nico emailed her, but she doesn’t feel bad about making the blonde wait a little longer, so she ignores it for now. 

Studio is the first thing she goes to on Tuesdays and Nico likes to use that time to express herself and get out all her emotions. Columbia has amazing graphics computers, of course, and she manipulates her screen with a pen, adding strokes and shades. The studio project she’s working on centers around outdoor spaces and architecture, so her screen is painted with mossy greens and browns as she tries to capture the serenity of a city park. Growing up in the city, Nico knows the magic of walking away from the busy streets and crowds and into greenery and relative calm. The time passes quickly and as she leaves, her instructor remarks on how much Nico is coming into her own style. It makes her preen and she’s in a great mood as she shoulders her bag and pushes through the double doors. 

Opening up her email app, Nico decides to finally read Karolina’s email.

“Hi Nico,

Thank you for emailing me so quickly and I just wanted to say sorry. I was being selfish when I requested you be my partner and I understand that now. I hope we can work past this rough start because I’m really excited to see what we can make together. 

I’m free Friday after 2:00, does that work for you? 

Hope you have a great week,

Karolina Dean”

She’s not surprised to see that Karolina apologized, despite Nico not bringing it up in her first email. It might be her good morning influencing her, but Nico thinks it’s nice and she is free Friday afternoon, so she decides to reply quickly. 

“Hey Karolina,

I’m free on Friday. We could meet in the museum lobby after we both get off and find a place to go from there. I accept your apology. It would suck to be mad at my partner for the next three months, so hopefully you can manage not to piss me off again. I’m kidding. Sorta. 

Nico Minoru”

She sends the email after some deliberation about keeping the joking part, but eventually, she forcefully hit the send button and locks her phone. Nico lets out her breath and looks around her surroundings. She frowns when she realizes she’d walked 5 minutes in the wrong direction. She shrugs, accepting it as being distracted by her phone and turns around to head to her next class.


	2. Equivalent

Nico is impressed with how good her week is going. Her classes have been entertaining and she’s doing well. Her internship is still amazing, of course. She even manages to have lunch with Amy one day, which is always a surprise because of how busy her sister stays at Wizard. In true big sister fashion, Amy almost ruins it by asking about Nico’s plans for a job after college. She quickly shuts that down, though, and they were able to have a fun lunch at a deli near campus.

Friday comes quickly and Nico has yet to see Karolina. Being in different departments, they don’t cross paths often, but the design intern knows that they will have to see each other a lot after this meeting on Friday. She’s waiting at the front of the museum, casually playing on her phone until she sees the blonde push through a doorway, already looking around for Nico, presumably. 

She’s once again wearing bright pastels, this time dark-wash jeans and a peach turtle neck blouse tucked in under a red long-coat. Nico glances down at her own all-black outfit and rolls her eyes at the contrast. She waves at Karolina who quickly walks over with a small grin.

“Hey! Sorry, hope you weren’t waiting too long. My supervisor told me last minute that she needed three additional color copies for her meeting later and you know how long it takes the color printers,” Karolina apologizes and shakes her head. Nico nods, having been forced to wait for the printers many times herself.

“It’s fine. Where did you want to head from here?” Nico gestures out the door, where it looks sunny, but she knows it’s actually in the thirties. Best to make a plan before leaving the warmth of the Met.

“Oh, I don’t care. As long as it’s not Starbucks,” Karolina grimaces and Nico widens her eyes. Maybe she misjudged this white girl.

“Alright, follow me,” Nico nods and pushes out the door. They don’t talk on the walk over, which suits Nico just fine. She leads the way to a cafe a few blocks east and is glad to walk into its cozy warmth. Nico looks over at Karolina once they’re both in line and notices how pink her nose got in the walk here. Why would she not have a scarf on?

“I’ve never been here! I love the vibe,” Karolina says, rubbing her hands together and scanning over the mismatched chairs and couches and the tables.

“Not surprising. We’re pretty far from NYU,” Nico shrugs, walking up to the barista taking orders.

“Can I get a medium americano, please?”

“I got this,” Karolina rushes up before Nico can pull out her wallet.

“A small latte too please?” she smiles at the barista, her card already in hand. The barista rings them up and they walk over to an empty table in the back. It has two small armchairs around it and they both sink into the well-worn seats.

“You didn’t have to pay for my drink, ya know?” Nico eyes the blonde warily. 

“I know, but I really felt bad so I figure that’s the least I can do,” Karolina explains with a light blush on her cheeks. It might be leftover from the wind, though. 

“Well, thanks. Not that I can be bought, but I appreciate the gesture,” Nico says and then leans down to pull out her laptop. The blonde is still reeling from the seemingly backhanded thank you but shakes it off. As Nico is typing in her password, she notices Karolina take out a plain cashier notebook and a pen and open it to a blank page. She watches as the photographer writes in perfect cursive, “Internship Exhibition” along the top and underline it smoothly. 

“Oh, that's us,” Karolina stands and goes to the counter to grab their drinks. Nico waits, watching the blonde balance their mugs and place them on the table between their stuff. Both the mugs steam and fill the air with the powerful smell of espresso.

“Alright, well I guess the first question is what is the exhibit going to feature?” Nico jumps right in, looking at Karolina expectantly. She smiles and nods, leaning in to begin her pitch,

“I don’t know if you know this, but 2019 marks the 50 year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots,” Karolina starts, her hands moving with her words and her face alight with excitement about her project. Nico raises her eyebrows and nods, beginning to wonder if she really misjudged the photographer.

“Starting in January, I’ve been trying to capture moments and people of the LGBTQ community within New York City and I’ve been exclusively using 50mm color film. I’d like to paint a picture of what has changed and what is the same within the community since Stonewall and pay homage to the amazing women and men who paved the way for people like me to live freely,” Karolina finishes, obviously proud yet nervous to see how Nico will respond to her proposal. She has a hopeful glint in her eye and she bites her lip as she stares at Nico, waiting for a response. The goth girl doesn’t even realize how long the silence has gone on as she ponders the project and what exactly Karolina meant by “people like me”.

“Uh, is that okay?” Karolina finally speaks up again, her voice quieter than before.

“Yes! Sorry, I didn’t mean- I’m not like against-. I actually think that sounds awesome?” Nico struggles to express herself, watching the confusion of Karolina’s face melt into excitement once again.

“Oh! Yay! Besides that, I’m really open to all of your ideas on design and stuff,” Karolina clasps her hands together and beams, her eyes crinkling up from the size of her smile. It almost makes Nico grin back, but she contains herself and nods, turning to her laptop to begin writing up some notes.

“Do you have any examples ready?” Nico asks, looking back to see Karolina writing in her notebook too.

“Yeah, I can send them to you tonight? They’re on an external hard drive right now and most of them are still unedited, but I can send you a mixture,” Karolina nods and goes to take a sip of her drink. A little foam sticks to her lip and Nico watches as a pink tongue darts out to lick it clean before she realizes what she’s doing and shakes her head. After that Nico is careful to keep her eyes on her own laptop primarily, only looking at Karolina’s eyes when she speaks. 

“Okay, I’ll talk to you later! Bye, Nico,” Karolina waves as they exit the coffee shop each going their different ways. Nico nods with a closed lip smile and pops her AirPods in to turn on her music for the commute back.

It’s several hours later when Nico is laying on Alex’s couch watching him play video games and snacking on hummus and pretzels that she gets an email from Karolina. 

“Alex, can I borrow your laptop?” Nico hits the back of his chair several times in a row to make sure he’s paying attention.

“Yeah, what for?” Alex asks, pausing his game and spinning around as Nico pulls the laptop up and angles it toward him to put the password in. He types out something ridiculously long and fast and Nico rolls her eyes at his complex password.

“My photography girl sent me some photos to review for the exhibit and get a feel for what she’s doing,” Nico explains as she logs into her email and clicks on the email. There are six photos attached and Nico clicks on the first one waiting for it to load. Alex watches over her shoulder, interested enough that he doesn’t immediately turn back to his game. Nico’s not really sure what she’s anticipating, but her eyes widen and her mouth opens slightly at the portrait that pops up. It’s a drag queen with beautiful dark skin and extravagant makeup and hair, but their expression is tranquil. They look so at peace in front of Karolina’s lens and calm, despite the dramatic hair and make-up look and it’s really good.

“Wow,” Alex says behind her and Nico nods, clicking to the next photo. This one is a group of people, nothing obviously queer about them until you look closer and see the way two of the girls are leaning into each other and it might not even be romantic, but you can feel the love between everyone. It’s a huge contrast to the last flamboyant picture, but it’s light and comfortable and warm.

“I didn’t know she’d actually be good,” Nico says as she flips through the other four. 

“How did you think she got permission to use her own work then?” Alex asks with a laugh, turning back to his game and pulling his headphone back up. Nico shrugs as she stares at the first portrait again,

“I just assumed she’s another privileged white woman,” the Asian girl admits and Alex laughs at the bluntness,

“Probably still had something to do with it.” 

The two friends chuckle in agreement and Nico hits reply to the email,

“These are amazing, Karolina. I’m excited to see the whole edited series. The first picture definitely needs to be in the exhibition.”

She sends her comments back to Karolina and logs out of her email to go back to chilling on the couch, thinking about the photos still. Nico was admittedly not impressed when she heard she’d be working with photography, but that’s not because she doesn’t respect the art form. The problem is that in today’s world of iPhone cameras and much cheaper DSLRs it seems like every person thinks they can pick up a camera and be a photographer. There’s an oversaturation of people trying to break into the industry and a lot of them aren’t very good. It’s cool to scroll through Instagram and see how high-quality everyone’s content is now, but that doesn’t mean everyone deserves to be paid for their photography skills and even fewer will impress enough to make it into museums.

Karolina, though, is actually really talented. Which, Nico probably should have guessed since the woman is almost done with a photography degree at NYU, but there’s something else that is unique and beautiful about Karolina’s photos. Something that only comes from having an artistic eye for space, people and emotion. Karolina is an artist and Nico has always had a soft spot for Bohemia.

* * *

Nico is frustrated. Karolina is a great photographer and has a solid idea for her series, but god, she is too enthusiastic. Usually, Nico likes when people have a passion for art that matches her own, but now that she’s working on designing an exhibit she could do with a little less enthusiasm and more organization. Almost every day, the design intern gets another email from her partner suggesting a new idea or asking questions about her work. 

It’s great that Karolina is invested in their project, but their work methods do not match up. Nico is organized and precise, she likes goals and deadlines. Karolina is more of a free spirit, flowing with whatever her most recent idea is and forgetting about past ones. The best compromise Nico has thought of so far is a Google Doc that Karolina can put all her ideas in when they come to her and then Nico goes through and expands upon ones she thinks are good or could work. The blonde was reluctant at first because she usually works with pen and paper over computers. Another thing Nico doesn’t understand.

“But when you type it up here you can just go back and edit and delete and with Docs it even saves your past versions so you never lose anything! It’s so much more efficient,” Nico laments, again, during one of their meetings. They meet once or twice a week right now. It’s early in the project and Karolina is still taking her photos, so there’s not a lot to nail down, yet.

“I know, but art isn’t about efficiency! There’s something so inspiring about opening up a notebook to a blank page and filling it up,” Karolina explains, also again.

“But you get a blank page on the computer too? It’s so much easier to organize and you can make as many mistakes as you want and it’s no big deal,” Nico raises her eyebrows at her point. They’re in an empty classroom in the Met basement and are only 30 minutes into their session when the normal debate comes back up.

“I like seeing my process though. I don’t want to delete the rough parts, I want to build off them! I don’t know why you can’t understand this. You’re kind of an artist too, right?” Karolina huffs. Nico’s eyes widen and she scoffs. Sure, her style of work might be more type A, but what she does is a form of art.

“Kind of? Okay, cool. It’s good to know how my partner really feels,” Nico bites out her voice sharp and glares at her computer screen. 

Karolina sighs and shakes her head, realizing her mistake. She lets the anger she had just felt ease away and bites her lip when she rethinks her statement. The photographer is generally a nice person, but sometimes she doesn’t think about what she’s really saying.

“Nico… I’m sorry. That was uncalled for and you’re completely right. About the artist thing, I mean. Jury’s still out on the paper v screen case,” Karolina tries to joke, watching as Nico’s face goes from stone cold to softening just slightly.

“Design is an art form. Without you, this project would just be pictures on a wall. You’re what turns it into the exhibit,” Karolina tries again. Nico finally looks back up, seeing the genuine remorse on Karolina’s features. Her clear blue eyes are wide and her eyelashes flutter as her lip pouts out just a bit. 

Nico rolls her eyes and relents,

“Okay, okay. Forgiven. Now, what did I tell you about not pissing me off?”

Karolina smiles and shrugs,

“I never made any promises.”

Nico hates herself for how quickly she lets it go and laughs lightly. Every other time she’d hold a grudge for at least a day or even more, but something about Karolina makes her want to forgive. It’s unsettling, but rewarding when any hesitation on Karolina’s face gives way to delight. 

“So will you at least transfer your ideas from your own notes to the google doc?” Nico proposes as a compromise, which the photographer happily agrees to. 

They wrap up their meeting shortly after that because Nico has dinner with her parents that she’s not particularly looking forward to. Especially after hearing that Amy won’t even be there. The two women take the elevator up together, idly chatting until the doors slide open and they step into the lobby,

“I think I’m going to go walk around the Modern Art halls. Do you want to join me?” Karolina asks, surprising Nico who opens her mouth and closes it again with a small sign.

“While that sounds way better than going to dinner with my parents, I can’t flake, again,” Nico admits. She’s being honest, but some part of her worries Karolina will see it as an excuse. Then another part wonders why she’s worried what Karolina thinks at all. 

“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t know. Have fun with your family!” The blonde doesn’t let on if she’s upset and Nico grimaces as she thinks about the dinner she’s about to endure.

“Not likely. Okay, bye, Karolina,” Nico waves and exits the Museum.

As she predicted, her dinner is strained at it’s best moments and outright hostile in its worst. Despite Nico considering herself to be somewhat successful, her mother still manages to make her feel like a total fuck-up. If it’s not her choice of industry, then she’s being criticized for her lack of relationships. The only thing that keeps her from walking out completely is her dad’s hopeless look. Nico knows he wants to fix the broken relationship between her mother and her, but most days Nico doubts there’s even a relationship to fix. Throughout the dinner, Nico finds herself wishing she had just said yes to Karolina’s offer and skipped. 

The person she calls when she leaves the restaurant, though, is Alex, her reliable best friend. He distracts her from the shitty night with cult horror films and updates on his girlfriend, Livvie. By the time she passes out on the couch, her mother is the last thing on her mind.

* * *

One of the perks of interning at the Met is access to opening night of all the new special exhibits at all the Met locations. Which is why Nico is currently in an overly expensive black floor-length dress and sipping on a mediocre cabernet as she wanders amongst rich, old people. It’s worth it, though, when the exhibit currently opening is “The Tale of Genji” and centers around art and traditions inspired by the classic Japanese piece of literature, The Tale of Genji. Nico read the novel when she was in middle school and has loved it ever since, so when she found out that the Met was teaming up with The Japan Foundation to bring this exhibit to New York, she knew she had to be there on the opening night. She wishes she could have brought Amy with her, since they both loved Genji growing up, but her internship invitation didn’t include a plus one. 

Instead, she wanders the exhibit alone, truly taking in each piece and remembering which ones she will have to show her big sister when the exhibit becomes public. She’s standing in front of a portrait of the heroine Murasaki when she feels a presence hover behind her shoulder. Nico is about to move away from the space intruder when she hears a voice she’s grown familiar with,

“She’s beautiful.”

Nico turns around to see Karolina in a floor-length pink hued dress and understated updo, looking up at the portrait. They’ve been working on their project for a couple of weeks now and Nico has long forgiven the photographer for her enthusiastic request. She actually kind of likes Karolina in a professional coworker way. 

“Karolina… what are you doing here?” Nico asks. She knows all interns received the same invitation to the opening night, but she hasn’t seen very many here, yet. Opening Nights are a formal event that members pay $600 to have access to and thus, many interns choose not to come unless they are like Nico and grew up going to private galas and charity events.

“Um, enjoying amazing artwork without the crowds of tourists and school children, mostly,” Karolina chuckles, moving to stand by Nico instead of behind. She looks up at the portrait again with a contemplative stare.

“Okay, duh. I guess I’m just surprised to see you at this exhibit. Have you heard of The Tale of Genji?” Nico rolls her eyes at the tall blonde’s obvious answer. Speaking of tall, is Karolina wearing heels? Nico glances down to confirm that yes, her partner is wearing a pair of three-inch open-toed heels and her nails are perfectly polished. It’s not yet March and Karolina must be insane. 

“Honestly? No… I do love getting dressed up though and there’s wine and beautiful art and women, so here I am,” Karolina spins around with a smile, her eyes twinkling as they land on Nico’s face. In the weeks they have been working together, Nico has been able to determine that Karolina is definitely a lesbian, which finally cleared up the meaning behind “people like me.”

As they’ve gotten to know each other, Nico is no longer surprised by the fact that Karolina is a queer woman, but it still throws her how easily and freely Karolina charms women, even, on occasion, herself. She really shouldn’t be though, considering Karolina is the kind of beautiful that needs to do very little to enchant people. Yet, she doesn’t rely upon her looks, instead choosing to express kindness and personality in everything she does.

“Hm, that does make sense. Although, the wine is not as good as I’d expect from the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” Nico swirls her own glass and takes another sip. Karolina wrinkles her nose as she looks at the cabernet,

“Maybe that’s because you chose red wine.” She raises her own glass which is half-full of chardonnay. They stand facing each other, the masterpiece behind them no longer a focus.

“Only someone with no palette would say that,” Nico scoffs, but it’s good-natured and she hopes her eyes convey this to the photographer.

“I’ll have you know, I spent the entire summer studying to become a sommelier in the hills of Tuscany, so-” Nico looks at the blonde with skepticism and is about to say something when Karolina’s straight face crumbles to giggles.

“Oh, thank god,” Nico sighs, finally looking away from the blonde and realizing they still haven’t moved from in front of the portrait of Muraski. She begins to walk to the next piece of art, Karolina a step behind her.

“So why are you here?” The blonde asks as they look over the drawn scene on delicate paper.

“My father gave me The Tale of Genji when I was thirteen and I loved it. As I got older, I realized just how amazing it is that the novel as we know it, something so overrun with white men, was originally the work of a Japanese woman. People like to acknowledge Asian excellence when it comes to math and sciences, but Japan has always had a rich history of art, poetry, and literature and I think it’s overlooked,” Nico explains with a small shrug. Karolina listens intently and nods in understanding.

“Well, now, I’m very glad I came.”

The two women circle through the rest of the exhibit, finishing their wine and chatting to each other about the pieces. Normally, Nico prefers to study the museum alone, but she’s enjoying Karolina’s insights, even if she doesn’t know the whole history of the genre.

They make their way to the museum entrance, stopping at coat check to get their jackets and bags.

“Bye, Nico. I’ll see you on Monday?” Karolina confirms as they each order a Lyft. It’s dark and cold enough that neither feel like taking the train.

“Sure, see ya then,” Nico replies, saluting awkwardly as they part ways. 

She lets the driver take her home, staring out the window at the busy streets and sidewalks. It’s a quick ride and she’s relieved to open the door to her single dorm and take off her uncomfortable shoes and change into pajamas. She’s settling into bed to put on the Charmed reboot (gay witches? Sign her the fuck up) when her phone buzzes. Nico is surprised to see Karolina’s name pop up with a text. They’d texted a few times about meeting and project stuff, but only during daylight hours.

“Hey Nico! I just wanted to say thanks for hanging out with me tonight :) hope I didn’t bug you too much”

Nico chuckles and shakes her head, debating if she should text back. It’s late enough she could ignore it till the morning, but the truth is she liked talking with Karolina about art and life and she doesn’t want the photographer to think otherwise.

“You didn’t bug me at all”

“I had fun actually? So thank you lol”

Nico types out the two messages quickly and sends them, putting her phone back down and pressing play. She’s five minutes into the episode when she gets a text back,

“Yay!! I really loved learning about the Tale of Genji and Japanese culture :)”

Nico smiles to herself and clicks the spacebar to pause the show, her focus elsewhere.

“Sure. Probably really bored you but thanks for being nice about it”

She sends her reply and sees the message go from Sent to Read almost immediately. Of course, Karolina is the type of person to have read receipts on and unabashedly open texts as soon as she receives them. There’s something badass about it, though. Nico is very closed off and is used to people thinking she must be cool and mysterious, but she can’t help but envy the strength and bravery it takes to be as open as Karolina is.

“Not at all! You’re a great guide.” 

Nico smiles and texts back, closing her laptop. The two girls continue to text for another ten minutes before Karolina tells her she’s going to bed. Nico types out a quick goodbye, locking her phone and sinking into her own covers. Before she closes her eyes, her phone vibrates again and Nico checks it to see one last text from Karolina,

“Sweet dreams Nico”


	3. Grey Fireworks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The partners spend some more time together, someone flirts with Karolina and Nico has a realization.

The first warm day comes at the end of March and while Nico doesn’t mind the cold, Karolina is radiant in the sun. They’ve been texting on and off for two weeks, still mostly centered around their internships, but it’s also how Nico knows that Karolina is from sunny Los Angeles and her dad is a movie star, was a movie star. 

“He hasn’t been in anything in years, but his hits were big so he still makes a lot off the royalties”

She also learns that her parents are deeply religious and that it came as quite a shock when their only daughter came out, but they adjusted.

“There was a lot of pressure from my mother to be the perfect church girl, so she freaked when I told her”

“It’s okay now. I think it was a little disappointing for them, but last year my mom bought me a pride flag and I totally cried about that lol”

Karolina knows that Nico has a strained relationship with her mom and that they have a shared fear of disappointment. She also learns that Nico identifies as bisexual and that got her very excited.

“This is so awesome! Two badass queer women making a badass queer exhibit?!”

Nico hasn’t made a new friend in a while, but she doesn’t remember it being quite this nerve-wracking. Her heart speeds up whenever she gets a text from Karolina, even if it’s just letting her know she’s going to be late. (She gets those texts a lot)

It’s fun too, though, getting to know someone and Nico doesn’t think that often. Which leads to today on the Met rooftop garden, watching as Karolina leans her head back to soak in the sun rays with a smile on her face.

“You’re such a hippie Cali girl,” Nico says casually, sipping on an iced tea as she does. It makes Karolina laugh and tip her head forward, settling her eyes on Nico again. Her bright eyes make Nico squirm, unused to such attention being on her. Karrie has a way of making Nico feel seen and it makes her equal parts uncomfortable and pleased. 

“At least I’m not a goth New Yorker drinking green tea on the roof with a hippie Cali girl,” Karolina teases and Nico rolls her eyes.

“This is strictly professional. We are here to review your latest batch of photos for the exhibit.” Nico puts on her most unaffected face and gestures for the photographer to hand her the external hard drive so she can plug it into her own laptop.

“Ma’am yes ma’am,” Karolina winks, fucking winks as she hands it over and suddenly Nico’s face is warm and thoroughly affected. She says nothing, though, and focuses on pulling up the most recent folder of photos and clicking on the first one. As usual, it’s beautiful. They’re all beautiful and Nico sighs internally as she’s reminded of her partner’s raw talent once again. She stops on a particularly haunting photo of a young man at a bar counter. He’s hunched just slightly over his drink and looks nervous and alone even as the bar bustles around him. Nico recognizes the setting as one of the more popular gay bars in SoHo and looks up at Karolina,

“This one is really great. What’s the story here?”

Karolina leans over to look at the photo and hums softly with a nod.

“I thought you’d like that one. Me too. That’s Ricardo. I spotted him last weekend when I went to The Boiler Room with some friends. Such a nice face, but he looked out of place so I started talking to him. He’d already had a couple of drinks so it didn’t take that long for him to get comfortable enough to share with me,” she starts to set the scene and Nico nods, not surprised that this random guy chose to share his story with Karolina. She’s the type of person you want to trust.

“He told me he’s a transman and this was his first night out since he began transitioning… He is proud of who he is and is finally in a place where he is loving his body, but he was still nervous, especially of being picked up by one of the men there. He’s gay and he loves men, but he didn’t know how one would react if they took him home and started to see what was under the clothes.”

Nico raises her eyebrows as she takes in the story of Ricardo. 

“Wow, that’s a deep one. It sucks that, even though we don’t like to admit it, even in New York that’s a valid concern,” Nico shakes her head, staring into the dark eyes of Ricardo on her screen. Karolina nods, sadly.

“Anyway, I asked if I could take his picture and he said yes. This was the result and I just found it a powerful example of loneliness and fear within our so-called safe spaces.”

“Well I’m definitely putting this is the confirmed folder. This is one of your best photos so far,” Nico drags the photo over to the folder where she’s keeping the final copies. 

“You got his contact info, right?” Nico asks after a beat and the blonde nods.

“You should invite him to the opening night. I think he should be there,” Nico suggests and Karolina smiles.

“I knew it!”

Nico narrows her eyes at the exclamation,

“What?”

“You’re a secret softie! I totally knew there was a gooey center under all that eyeliner and combo boots,” Karolina pokes fun of the goth girl. Nico scoffs,

“No. Hard candy through and through here.”

“Nope! You’re a softie. Can’t disprove it now. I’ve had my suspicions, but that was all the confirmation I needed. I’m surprised you didn’t cry during Ricardo’s story,” Karolina laughs as Nico gets more and more defensive and shakes her head.

“God, whatever. Think what you want, but you will not see me cry,” Nico turns back to the computer, ignoring her partner’s smug grin. They go through the rest of the photos, a couple going into the maybe folder and the rest staying on the hard drive. All Karolina’s photos are good, but they can only feature so many in their little exhibit and so far they have 12 picked out.

“Okay, boss. What next?” Karolina puts her hard drive away and leans back in her chair, twirling the straw in her drink as she looks at Nico expectantly.

“Well, I think you’re doing great so far. The only thing I would say is it that it would be nice to get some older LGBT folks. Most of the current selection is 30 and younger and I think it’s important to honor our history with some older generations,” Nico gives her notes. Karolina writes that down and pulls the pen to her face, tapping it on her pursed lips. It’s a habit that Nico has noticed her do often when she’s in her thinking mode.

“I agree, but I don’t know how to find them as easily… It’s easy to find young queer people because I am one and my hang out spots are usually full of them,” Karolina says. Nico knows that she truly does want to find older LGBT people, so she stops and tries to think too.

“I think I know a place. There’s a community round table at Columbia once a month and we get a lot of older people too. There’s one on Monday if you want to come?” Nico invites the photographer, who eagerly agrees. They make plans to meet up beforehand and then Karolina gets a call from a friend who begs her to come hang out in the park with them. Karolina laughs and agrees, hanging up and turning to Nico with a soft look.

“Sorry, Gert’s little sister Molly is here for a few days and she really wants to go to explore,” Karolina explains as she packs up her stuff. Nico hums understandingly,

“She picked a good time to come,” she says referring to the pretty weather.

“I know! I should go now before I get an angry call,” Karolina smiles down at Nico as she stands, lingering just a second longer before starting to walk away.

“Bye, Nico. Talk to you later,” she waves and Nico lifts her hand watching as the blonde turns and heads off.

* * *

Three days later, Nico is waiting inside the doors of Butler Library. The warmth of Spring had only lasted a day more, before another cold snap hit and plunged New York back into winter. She spots Karolina hurrying through the cold and chuckles at the look of displeasure on the Cali girl’s face. She waves her partner over once she’s inside and signs them both in and directs her to a meeting room where the round table was. Karolina unwinds a purple scarf from around her neck (so she does own one) and follows close behind Nico.

“How long have you been coming to these?” She asks when Nico waves at a few people and finds a seat easily.

“Since I found out about them two years ago. I don’t go out that much, so it was nice to find another way to connect to the LGBT community,” Nico shrugs. Karolina pulls her primary camera out and goes about adjusting the aperture and shutter speed to the lighting of the room.

“Well, if you’re comfortable enough, could you introduce me and make sure it’s cool for me to take people’s photo?” Karolina asks, her eyes hopeful and pleading with the Asian women who grumbles at the thought. She knows it’s important to ask first though, so she bites her cheek and agrees. Once the room starts to fill up with the usual crowd and a few newcomers, Nico stands and draws attention to herself and Karolina.

“Hey, guys. Most of you know me, but I’m Nico and this is Karolina. We’re both interns over at the Met and Karolina is a photographer and she’s hoping to take some pictures of the meeting today for our project. If anyone doesn’t want their photo taken, just let us know and we will respect that,” Nico manages to explain with little awkwardness and Karolina smiles sweetly when Nico refers to her. Everyone nods and no one has any objections, so Karolina gets the clear to start taking pictures. The meeting starts with a general review of last month’s and an overview of the expected behavior and rules of the round table. In all the months coming here, Nico has only ever seen a couple of people disrupt the peace and community of the group, all of which were asked to leave.

Despite working together for two months now, Nico hasn’t actually seen Karolina shooting before and as much as she tries to pay attention to the interesting discussions, she can’t help but watch her partner. Her usual carefree demeanor shifts and every shutter is deliberate and thought-out. She moves throughout the space, crouching and finding the perfect spot without interrupting the natural flow of the room. Seeing the creative process come alive in a person is enthralling and Nico feels awe and pride for her partner.

“Any final thoughts?” One of the leaders of the group asks the crowd and Nico is startled to realize it’s already been almost an hour. Karolina sneaks back over to her seat and sits with a happy look on her face. Nico tunes back into the last couple minutes and stands with everyone when they close it out. She’s not surprised when a couple of women come over to Karolina to talk to her about her photos,

“What’s your project about?” One of the girls their age asks and Karolina lights up as she gets to explain her concept again. The group looks impressed and nods in confirmation. 

“Karolina is a really talented, you should all be so lucky if she takes your picture,” Nico hypes her partner up, watching as Karolina ducks her head with a shy smile. 

“Oh, I think we are all very lucky to be graced with Karolina’s presence today,” the girl who asked about the project says, a flirtatious tone obvious in her voice. Nico bites her tongue and keeps her eyes from rolling when Karolina laughs and shakes her head. Most of the group disperses, but the one girl keeps asking Karolina questions and flirting. Nico should be used to this, knowing the draw that Karolina has on gay women and usually she just zones out, but today she feels annoyed. Nico brought the blonde here to work on their project, not to be hit on. To her credit, Karolina isn’t reciprocating; in fact, she seems unaware of the flirting.

“Would you mind if I got your number?” The girl finally asks and Karolina raises her eyebrows as if she is just realizing her intentions.

“Oh! Yeah, I guess,” she eyes Nico from the corner, taking note of the goth girl’s disgruntled face.

“Maybe you can send me the photo you took of me?” The girl suggests as her reasoning, making Karolina shift and look at the ground briefly.

“I- uh- well I don’t know if I took any?” She admits and Nico lets out a chuckle on accident when she sees the look on the girl’s face. She quickly stifles it and tries to distract herself with her phone.

“That’s okay. We can always fix that later,” the girl takes it in stride, making Nico actually roll her eyes. This was just getting desperate.

“Sorry to interrupt, but Karolina and I really have to get going now,” Nico grabs her partner’s arm and quickly pulls her out of the room.

“God, I’m sorry. That was painful, though,” Nico says once they’re out of earshot.

“Thank you for getting us out of there… I’m not very good at navigating those situations,” Karolina admits, her cheeks pink from embarrassment.

“It’s not your fault. I should have known better than to bring the lesbian goddess herself into there and not expect that to happen,” Nico shrugs and Karolina perks back up when she hears what Nico called her.

“Lesbian goddess? I don’t think I would say that” the beautiful blonde shakes her head.

“Oh whatever, Karrie. Don’t pretend like you don’t know you’re gorgeous. It’s not believable,” Nico raises her eyebrows and Karolina’s smile widens even as her blush stays.

“You know, only my friends call me Karrie,” she says with a teasing lilt. Nico widens her eyes once she realizes the nickname had spilled out. Was Karolina really her friend? They spent a lot of time together, but it was usually to work. On the other hand, Karrie had gotten her to open up about her family issues, which few can do.

“Well. You know my coffee order and my favorite painting, so I guess we’re friends now,” Nico admits, her gaze locking onto a tree in the distance so she doesn’t have to see Karolina’s smirk.

“It’s true, Helen Frankenthaler does prove a certain amount of intimacy,” Karolina says, proving she remembers not only Nico’s favorite painting but the artist behind it.

“Oh, fuck off,” Nico bounces her shoulder against the blonde’s. Or, she tries to but only makes it mid-bicep on the taller woman. 

* * *

It’s been a long Wednesday and Nico is just trying to make it out of the museum without her boss asking for one more task. She was supposed to leave 45 minutes ago, but now she’s just hoping to get out before dark. The intern is almost to the elevator when she hears her name called out and has to suppress a groan, but when she turns around it’s not her boss, but her project partner who is jogging up to her.

“Hey! I’m glad I caught you,” Karolina smiles and gets on the elevator with Nico.

“What’s up, Karrie?” Nico asks, seeing a question on Karolina’s face. The photographer bites her lip before opening her mouth.

“So there’s this show tomorrow night. The group is full of super badass gender non-conforming individuals who have kind of said fuck you to all the traditional systems and I really want to go shoot their performance,” Karolina begins to explain as they get off the elevator and walk through the lobby together. Nico stops before the door and looks at her quizzically,

“Okay, cool. So go!” 

“It’s just that the band is really heavy punk rock and I feel like if I go alone I’ll stick out too much,” Karolina rushes out her hesitation, with a gesture down to her very feminine light aesthetic. Nico laughs as she realizes what Karolina is asking for.

“You want me to go with you to a punk rock show so you don’t scare everyone off with your sunny personality,” Nico smirks and Karrie sighs, but nods. 

“How’d you find out about this band?”

“I follow a lot of queer independent media outlets and they showed up on one. I actually think their music is pretty cool too, although not my usual taste,” she explains. Nico listens and looks outside as the light begins to disappear.

“Alright. I’ll go. But please, try not to embarrass me and show up in like yellow?” Nico agrees quickly.

“Yes! Ugh, thank you so much, Nico. I will not embarrass you!” Karolina bounces with excitement and Nico raises her eyebrows to tell her that this behavior was exactly what she has to avoid. Karrie stops and tries to put on a badass face, but it just looks adorable on her. Nico rolls her eyes, knowing this is hopeless.

“Okay, I gotta go before Lewis somehow finds me up here. Text me the details?” She asks, pushing out the door. Karolina gives her confirmation and a smile as she leaves.

Nico shakes her head as she hustles down the steps and toward her path home. Karolina at an indie punk rock show? This is probably a terrible idea, but she can’t wait to see how it plays out.

* * *

As soon as Nico walks through the door of the bar-venue that The Grimm Sisters are playing at, she understands why Karolina was nervous to attend. The crowd is full of people in dark clothes, leather, and piercings, it’s full of people who look similar to her. It’s strange to see what makes her stand out usually, allow her to blend in. She walks over to the bar to order a drink and wait for Karolina to show up.

“Whiskey, not the cheap shit,” Nico barks over the loud bar and the man on the other side nods and grabs a bottle from the middle of the shelf and pours her a finger. She takes the drink and opens a tab, turning around to survey the scene more. It’s dark in the venue, most of the light coming from behind the bar or on the stage and the floor sticks to her boots when she lifts them. Nico laughs at the mental image of Brentwood beauty Karolina coming into here until she sees her friend actually walk in. The sip she just took chokes and burns in her throat as she sees Karolina’s normal attire traded in for dark skin tight jeans and a black turtleneck that clings to her curves. Her hair is messy and down with one french braid going down the side before turning into loose curls. She’s not fooling anyone, her cheeks too rosy and her eyes too bright, but god, does she look good.

“Nico! Wow, this place is crazy! I’ve never been to a bar like this before,” Karolina eyes the crowd in awe.

“Hey, uh you look great,” Nico gestures at Karolina’s outfit once she regains her ability to speak.

“Oh, thanks! These are the only dark things I found in my closet, honestly,” Karolina admits with a chuckle. Nico nods and bites her cheek in order to not take another once-over of the blonde. She’s not a creepy dude and she doesn’t need to look at her friend’s butt no matter how nice it looks in those jeans.

“Do you want a drink? I opened up a tab already,” Nico offers, turning to the bar again. The blonde smiles and nods, waiting until the bartender looks up at them to order vodka water and lime. They leave the safety of the bar after that to mingle into the crowd and wait for the band to come on. It’s not until they’re about to perform that Nico realizes Karrie is missing something.

“Wait. Where’s your camera?” 

Karolina ducks her head and shifts in her spot.

“Did you not bring it?” Nico asks, looking her over and not seeing her trademark Fujifilm camera. 

“Okay, I fully intended to when I asked you to come with me. Then I started thinking about it and it’s so dark in here and 50 mm is really meant for portraits, not action shots and I was afraid it would get damaged so I didn’t bring it. I probably should have told you, but I really wanted to come tonight, so I hope it’s okay that I don’t have it…” Karolina explains very quickly. Nico struggles to keep up with all the reasons but can see that her friend is feeling conflicted about it, so she just shakes her head.

“Karrie, it’s fine. Who cares if you don’t take any photos tonight? Let’s just enjoy the show,” Nico reassures the photographer who looks very relieved to hear that.

“Okay! Thank you for coming with me, really. I wouldn’t have done this alone,” Karolina smiles softly down at Nico. The crowd has grown around them and forced the two women to stand very close together, making the height difference more obvious. Nico lets a small smile come through and is about to say something dumb like how she would go anywhere with Karolina when the crowd screams and a group of four people rush the stage.

The band is good; they’re loud and gritty and dark, but that’s everything Nico loves so she easily loses herself to the music. They jump and collide and scream when everyone screams and it’s so different than any of the times Karrie and her have hung out before. There’s no hesitation as they dance and listen and she loves watching Karolina’s perfect hair get more and more disheveled. When the show ends, they grab one more drink each to cool down.

“That was so wild. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced something like that before,” Karolina admits, breathless and wide-eyed.

“I gotta say that was really good. The Grimm Sisters rock,” Nico says, impressed with the band. It’s not that she doesn’t trust Karolina’s taste in music usually, but she has heard her play a few too many Beatles songs. 

“Nico… why are you um goth? I’m just curious. You obviously rock it, but I figured there must be a reason behind it,” Karolina asks innocently. She leans forward on her elbow, ready to hear her friend’s answer. 

“Oh! I started to practice Wicca in high school and all the people I looked up to in that wore all black. My mom hated it, so obviously I went as extreme as I could after that. I’ve dialed it back since, but I still own pretty much no none black clothes. Black is just so nice,” Nico responds having to think back to how it all started. 

“Ya know, I don’t know if anyone has ever asked that and truly wanted to know.”

“Really? I’ve wanted to ask you since that first coffee shop. Now just seemed like the best time,” Karolina laughs looking around the bar to all the similarly dressed patrons. 

“Wicca, huh? Did you ever try any spells?” Karolina asks next with a mischievous smile. Nico shakes her head and rolls her eyes. 

“I might have like once or twice, but it was never about that for me. It’s all about your energy and intentions,” Nico explains. She doesn’t blame Karolina for not knowing much about Wicca besides Witchcraft, especially with her history with the church. 

They sip their drinks and talk more about the show only stopping when Karolina brings up food.

“Should we go get pizza? I’m starving and I could kill a slice right now,” she asks and Nico immediately agrees because pizza is always a good idea.

“Fuck, yes, please. Let’s go,” Nico stands and pulls Karolina up by the hand, dragging her towards the exit. 

It's cold with the sun down, but the alcohol in her system keeps Nico's cheeks warm and glowing. They stay close together as they make their way through the dark, busy streets. A slight breeze blows Karolina's hair into her face and Nico watches as she tucks it behind her ear. 

It’s New York, so it doesn’t take them long to find a pizza joint open and slip inside to the aromas of tomato and garlic.

“Mmm, this was such a good decision,” Karolina says as she bites into the big slice. Nico falters as she watches the way her friend licks her lips and moans from the flavor. How does she make everything look so good?

“Yeah, duh. There’s nothing like food after a badass concert,” Nico agrees. Karolina nods and points at her,

“True as fuck,” and there’s something about the way this radiant woman says fuck that always makes Nico smile. No one expects her to have a foul mouth, but Karrie seems to have a fondness for that word. Nico just has a fondness for Karrie.

Wait, what? 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wants to come bug me on tumblr my name is notagirlastorm on there :)


	4. Street Arrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico is pining and oblivious. Karolina is having fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! Iife is crazy and I will probably have a couple weeks before I can update again... very sorry.

The realization that Nico has a crush on Karolina was honestly shocking. One second she’s eating pizza and the person across from her is her friend and the next second she is aware of every aspect of her body language and her words. People always talk about how there’s no real point where they realized they liked someone or how it just grew into this feeling and maybe that’s true, but Nico can’t relate. She likes Karolina and shit, that is scary. 

For one, she doesn’t know many people who are so obviously the opposite of her in so many ways. Karolina wears pinks and yellows and she believes in the best in everyone and loves meeting new people and Nico does not. But, she loves the way Karolina looks in her pinks and yellows and she loves the way Karolina believes in people and she, well, she tolerates Karrie’s need to befriend everyone. More than that it’s always been important to her to be 100% herself in everything she does and to not let anyone tell her she has to look or dress or act a certain way and Karrie does that. She is a kind-hearted person who embraces her femininity and her beauty and she doesn’t do it to be palatable or to fit into a mold, but because that is who she is. 

All these things that initially caused Nico to dislike Karolina are now why she just wants to kiss her. Like, really wants to kiss her. Not that she’s going to. Karolina may be a lesbian, but Nico won’t offend her by assuming that means she’s attracted to her. Yes, Karolina is always nice to her and likes talking to her and invites her to random punk rock shows even though she doesn’t listen to punk rock, but that’s just how her friend is! 

Not to mention, they have almost two months left in this internship and Nico can’t risk messing this up. They work well together as partners and their project is on track to be amazing, so there’s no room to add in something as trivial as feelings and possibly fuck that up. 

 

It’s a Monday morning and Nico and Karolina are wandering the new Photographs Special Exhibition to gain inspiration and it’s all really impressive. Karolina is fluttering around the room trying to take it all in, gasping and telling Nico all about the use of shadows and how dynamic it is in positioning. It’s interesting, but all Nico can think about is how intelligent Karrie is in her commentary. She obviously loves her craft and has spent years learning about what makes a good photograph. Not to mention, she’s back in her usual bright clothes, choosing bell bottom jeans and a crop top under a pink satin bomber jacket. It’s all so Karolina which Nico now realizes she is very into. 

“Oh, Nico. We should definitely do something like this,” Karrie says, pointing at a group of three photos that are all under one glass with matte around them. 

“Yeah, we could do that for that one group of photos-”

“With the guy realizing his boyfriend was behind him,” Karolina completes the statement excitedly and Nico nods with a chuckle.

“What time is it?” Nico glances down at her watch and realizes she only has fifteen minutes left in her lunch break.

“Oh, it’s already 12:15,” Nico sighs. The two women got carried away in the exhibit and she hasn’t actually eaten yet.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I totally took over your whole break,” Karolina apologizes, her brows furrowing as she realizes what happened. Nico shakes her head and resists the urge to touch the little wrinkle between two immaculate eyebrows.

“It’s not your fault. I was supposed to be keeping track of time,” Nico tells her as they make their way through the halls and toward a staircase. Keeping track of time isn’t easy when Nico can hardly keep up with her thoughts around Karolina. They walk through a narrow hall of drawings and the group of school kids on either side cause their shoulders to bump until they walk through the doorway.

“Wait, let me get you something from the balcony lounge! You could eat a light lunch on the run,” Karolina suggests, stopping in front of the doors to the Members only lounge.

“You’re right, but you don’t have to get it for me, Karrie,” Nico points out. Karolina has a habit of offering to pay for Nico or stealing the check away last moment. They flash their employee badges to the gatekeeper, who lets them through. 

“You’re not the only one with grossly wealthy parents, remember?” Nico lets a little sarcasm come through, even though it’s true. What are the chances her crush has millionaire parents too, though?

Karolina is quiet for a few seconds and Nico looks up to see her biting her lip and looking dejected.

“You know that’s not why I offer… Right? Like, I know you can afford it, Nico. Sorry, I just. I don’t want to it to seem like I’m trying to buy your friendship or-”

“Karrie. Stop. I was just kidding, I’m sorry. I can have a fucked up sense of humor sometimes, but I promise you are not offending me by buying me food sometimes,” Nico reassures her. She understands where Karolina is coming from since her whole life she’s wondered how many people were genuinely interested in being her friend or if they just knew who her parents were. It’s the most stupid, upper-class problem and she knows that, but still the thought crosses your mind sometimes. Karrie nods, but she still seems down so Nico reaches out and squeezes her hand.

“With that in mind, would you like anything, Karrie? My treat this time,” Nico smirks and Karolina finally grins and asks for an iced coffee. 

“Sorry, I guess I’m a still little insecure about my family,” Karolina sighs and runs a hand through her hair, pushing it back from her face.

“I understand,” Nico nods, grabbing her food and Karolina’s coffee.

They pay and walk out, but Nico can’t stop picturing how upset her friend looked, so before they part ways Nico stops her again.

“I just want you to know that the reason you’re my friend has nothing to do with your parents or where you come from. The light inside of you, that warmth and openness. That’s everything that I like about you,” Nico says, barely able to keep eye contact as her cheeks start to warm. It’s all worth it for the beautiful smile that glows across Karolina’s face. 

“Nico…” Karolina starts to say something, her voice soft and lovely. Nico holds her breathe for what comes next but just as Karolina goes to continue a brash voice joins the mix.

“Nico! I have a meeting in ten minutes, are you coming or not?” Lewis raises his eyebrows as he stops in front of the duo and interrupts whatever moment was happening.

“Oh, yes, sir. Sorry, my lunch ran late, I’m coming,” Nico stumbles over her words as she follows her supervisor out the lobby. She sends an apologetic look over her shoulder at Karolina who just waves it off with a small smile. Whatever Karolina was about to say is now gone and Nico sighs as her mind is left to wonder about the possibilities.

 

* * *

 

She just saw Karolina maybe an hour ago, but already Nico is thinking about when she can see her again. It’s a Thursday and they don’t have any meetings planned for this weekend which means it could be three whole days without the presence of her crush and that feels like a long time. Nico can go weeks without seeing her sister and days without hanging out with Alex, but somehow one long weekend without Karolina is too much to think about.

She makes the decision to text Karrie about her plans tomorrow after a lot of deliberation. Would it seem clingy to ask to hang out again so soon? Is it sad that Nico doesn’t have plans already for her Friday night? These questions linger in the back of her mind even as she types out the message, but Nico isn’t a coward so she pushes them back.

“Hey! What are you doing tomorrow night?” 

She rewords that five times before she realizes how ridiculous she’s being and just hits send. Her pulse races as she waits for a reply, despite the innocent nature of the question and the fact that her and Karrie text every day now.

“Hi Nico!! My friends Gert and Chase are forcing me to go out to some clubs with them cause apparently I’ve been neglecting them lately. Do you want to come??” 

Nico reads and rereads the reply which came only minutes after she sent the first text. Drinking and dancing with Karolina and her friends… 

“Oh.. You don’t have to invite me if your friends want some quality time” 

It’s Nico’s immediate thought, so she makes sure Karolina knows she’s not obligated to invite her. She doesn’t want to intrude or get invited out of pity. This was a mistake, of course, Karolina already had plans. Nico is the recluse with few friends.

“Please come, Nico!!! I don’t want to third wheel with Gertchase anyway. It can get gross”

All the doubts that plagued Nico start to fade away when she sees that Karrie genuinely wants her there. Three exclamation points is a lot, even for her enthusiastic partner.

“Ok ok. What’s the plan? I’m there”

She receives a string of about ten emojis in reply each showing varying degrees of excitement and happiness. It makes her smile and shakes her head since only Karrie can get away with that level of cheesiness and not receive judgment from Nico. If Alex ever dared to send a text of only happy emojis, Nico would probably block his number for a couple days until he showed up in person and hacked her phone.

Karolina shares the plan and where to meet up with them since they’ll all be coming from downtown. It’s a full 24 hours away still, but Nico stands in front of her closet debating what to wear. This will be her first introduction to Karolina’s friends and she knows the power of your friend’s opinions, so she can’t fuck it up.

She knows she’s not always the best first impression because of her stand-off nature, but if there’s one thing Nico can rest easy about it’s her sense of style. She knows how to put together a badass outfit for a night out and she can prove that. Her eyes scan over everything in her closet and when she sees it she stops and smirks. Yeah, that’ll do.

* * *

 

The sidewalks are slick from a storm earlier in the day and the puddles on the curb create pools of light as Nico walks up to the club where she’s supposed to meet Karolina. She isn’t expected her friend to be there yet because Karrie is rarely on time, but obviously, her friends are more punctual. She spots a tall blonde accompanied by a purple haired woman and a buff looking dude and figures that must be Karolina and her friends, Gert and Chase.

Her suspicion is confirmed when Karolina looks over her shoulder and spots Nico.

“Nico!”

Calling her name alerts Karolina’s friends to her arrival and Gert and Chase both look over. Nico knows she looks good, but it feels nice to see all their reactions from Gert’s impressed and ‘oh damn’ look to Chase’s shock. The only reaction that really matters is seeing Karolina look her up and down, her eyes lingering on Nico’s see-through black mesh shirt paired with a lace bra underneath and then traveling over the tight leather pants covering her legs. By the time Nico stops in front of the friend group, all eyes are back on her face and Karrie quickly remembers to introduce everyone.

“Guys, this is Nico. Nico this is Gert and her boyfriend, Chase,” Karolina gestures between them. Gert immediately jumps in,

“I have heard a lot about you, Nico, but Karolina did not do your badassness justice.”

Nico laughs but takes note of the fact that Karolina talks about her to her best friends. 

“I’ve heard about you as well! And you, Chase. I’m glad we all get to meet now,” Nico tries to be as nice as she can. She’s sure her true colors will bleed through, but she wants these people to like her.

“Likewise! Now can we please start drinking?“ Chase points his thumb back over his shoulder toward the door. They all turn to get in the line that’s forming along the front.

“Don’t get the wrong impression. Chase had a rough week,” Gert explains Chase’s haste to drink, patting his arm affectionately, “See, my idiot genius boyfriend is a biomedical engineering major and he had a big test earlier.”

“Hence, the bar,” Chase uses both hands outstretched in front of him to emphasize their current location. Karolina mocks hurt with a pout,

“Here I thought you just wanted to spend time with me!”

The club Karolina and her friends choose to spend their Friday night at is a gay bar. While Nico appreciates that she won’t have to worry about gross men hitting on her all night, she’s also prepared to deal with a lot of gay women flirting with Karolina. Well, not so much prepared as aware of the inevitability. The last time someone hit on Karolina in front of her, she was annoyed and that was before she even realized her true feelings. Tonight, it could be unbearable. 

When they get into the club, it’s full of people dancing and drinking. The music is loud and a DJ is playing a mixture of hits and throwbacks that keep everyone happy. So it’s basically just a normal club. 

The group makes their way over to the bar, each ordering a drink and finding space to all hang out in. Nico gets to talk to Gert and Chase some more, but it’s too loud to hold substantial conversations and after their first drinks are gone they all decide to hit the dance floor. It’s fun and not very serious with Karolina and Chase passionately singing along to an Ariana Grande song and Gert and Nico looking on with judgment. 

More drinks are bought and drank and the liquor starts to do its job, loosening Nico’s limbs and her lips. Somehow, she and Karolina lose their friends and end up in the middle of the crowd of dancing people. 

Nico isn’t sure how long they’ve been here now but her skin is warm and she’s having trouble keeping her thoughts in order. 

She does know that somehow in the past few songs Karolina has gotten much closer to her. Cheeks are flushed and pupils were blown wide and still, that smile never leaves Karrie’s face. The song changes and it’s a new one that Nico’s never heard before. The beat is great and Nico smiles as they dance together to the women’s voice and electronic sounds. She has always known that Karolina was tall, but she never realized just how much she loves the difference until one of Karrie’s hands trails from her shoulder down to her hand, grabbing it and spinning her around so she’s facing the other direction.

_So if you’re into me, I got the energy_

All of a sudden all she can feel is Karolina’s warm body pressed to hers as they move in time. Nico may be drunk but she will never forget how Karrie’s hands find their way to her hips and hold her tight. 

_I don’t see nothing wrong, With you and me getting along_

It’s addicting; the puff of breathe that hits her neck and the smell of Karolina’s perfume overpowering her even in the crowd of people. The beat drops and the dance floor shifts with it and if it were possible Nico swears she feels Karolina get closer.

_Sway with me, Don’t speak, Stay with me_

Nico spins herself around again so she can see Karolina’s face. As quickly as she settles herself into Karrie’s space, there are arms around her shoulders connecting them again. She has to tilt her head up to keep eye contact, but it’s worth it when Karolina’s ocean eyes lock onto hers. She keeps the contact as long as she can stand it, but the intensity overcomes her and she has to look away before her lips join the blonde’s. 

_Baby, are you tied up? I don’t wanna know now_

She drops her head to Karrie’s shoulder, pressing her forehead to the fabric there. Their bodies move together as if they’ve done this a hundred times and Nico wishes that were true. Dancing with anyone else could never compare to this again. This is what is right.

_Are we gonna stay up? Are we gonna get out this crowd?_

If there are still people around them, Nico can’t tell. All she knows is Karrie, Karrie’s hand pressing into her spine, Karrie’s hum against her ear. Karrie, Karrie, Karrie.

_Don’t speak, Show me, What I need_

When Nico finally lifts her head again, she doesn’t move back. She looks up and sees parted lips and she’s tilting her head. Nico thinks she may really kiss her crush right here. The song trails off, but she doesn’t care. 

“Karolina! There you guys are,” Gert pushes through the crowd, unaware of the moment she just stepped into. Nico stumbles backward at the sight of the purple haired girl and her very intoxicated boyfriend.

“Chase got too drunk so we gotta go,” Gert explains, her arm under a very smiley and loving Chase. Karolina eyes the couple, looking both concerned and disappointed.

“What happened?” 

“Well, Chase just tried to fight a guy he thought was hitting on me,” Gert begins to explain. 

“That’s not that unusual-“ Karolina interrupts and Gert shakes her head quickly.

“It was a poster of Freddie Mercury by the bathroom.”

“I’m a lover and a fighter, Karo,” Chase attempts a serious face that quickly turns into a dopey smile.

Karolina sighs and sends a look to Nico that reads like an apology.

“Alright, let’s go,” she says, reaching down to tangle her fingers with Nico’s and move through the crowd. Nico focuses on the soft hand in her own as she is pulled through the masses and out onto the street. The cool air is sobering when it hits Nico and she blinks as the street lights shine down on them. It’s like coming out of water. She was under the waves of Karolina and this was coming out to breath. Yet, why did she feel like breathing wasn’t the priority anymore?

Karolina has her phone out and is halfway through her address when she stops and turns to Nico,

“I’m sorry. I have to get the idiots home. Did you want to come with me?” 

Nico shakes her head lightly and reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind Karrie’s ear. She’s just drunk enough to watch her hand act without hesitation and to wonder if everything is happening as slow as it feels like.

“It’s okay. You focus on your friends… I'm going to call my own car to take me home.”

Karolina smiles softly, her cheeks still pink from the alcohol and the dancing.

“You’re the best,” she says and for a moment Nico believes it until she remembers the four drinks Karolina had inside and bites her lip. Don’t get your hopes up.

She distracts herself with using her phone to call a Lyft and then by watching Gert and Chase who have settled on the curb. Gert, who is obviously not as drunk, looks equally annoyed and endeared by the fact she has to look after her drunk boyfriend. 

“That’s us! Is your car almost here?” Karolina asks when a red sedan pulls up. Nico glances down and notes that her driver is only a block away now.

“Yeah, I’ll be good,” Nico nods, seeing Karrie’s concern with leaving her friend behind. Karolina smiles and opens the door to the front seat since Chase and Gert has already sprawled across the back. 

“Let me know when you’re home?” She hesitates before ducking in. Nico smiles and nods again.

She watches as Karolina and her friends disappear into the flow of traffic. Still, her body thrums with energy and heat. Her eyes close in the backseat of her Lyft and all she can picture is blown pupils with a sliver of blue and the slopes of Karolina’s hips as they shifted against Nico’s body. She knows it’s probably good that Gert interrupted when she did because Nico can just imagine the trouble she’d be in if they’d continued. She’s certain she would need to taste the salt off Karolina’s golden skin and to feel how soft that skin is in the places no one can see.

When she gets to her apartment, she strips off the dirty club clothes and steps under the stream of hot water and still her body is alive with nerve endings, so she yanks the handle to cold and gasps when the sudden change burns her skin. Nico focuses on that feeling and pushes everything out of her mind. Because she doesn’t know what would have happened if Gert hadn’t interrupted, but she knows she wants to come with Karolina’s name on her lips. This isn’t an option though and in the morning Nico will receive an apology text from Karolina, but she will pretend as nothing happened and this will be for the best. Karolina might have been referring to leaving so suddenly or she might be talking about the way her the shadow of her touch still lingers in her mind. Either way, Nico thinks that maybe Karolina could ruin her and while her heart is screaming to let it happen, Nico doesn’t always listen to her heart.

 


	5. Reflektor Distortion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone comes into town and Nico isn't really happy about it.

Nico thinks that it should be awkward. She and Karolina spent all night dancing on each other and she knows how their bodies fit together. Things have to change after that. Except, Monday afternoon they meet in their coffee spot and Karolina is just as chipper and smooth as always.

It’s not awkward at all as they sit side by side and watch as Nico uses her laptop to show Karolina a few mock-ups for their exhibit. The opening night date draws closer and closer and with it the promise of graduation and the need for a job. Karolina is impressed with all the ideas presented and she keeps complimenting Nico on how good everything looks. Which, yeah, Nico is good at what she does and she loves doing it, so this makes sense. Except, getting good feedback from her supervisors and teachers never made her heart beat this fast. Nico is working hard to appear casual and professional when in reality her desire for Karolina grows with every smile and minute spent together.

Karolina keeps taking sips of a cappuccino that leaves a line of foam on her upper lip and every time her pretty pink tongue pops out to lick it away Nico stumbles with her words.

She thinks maybe Karrie has noticed this because really, there are ways to sip without getting a foam mustache.

“These all look fantastic so far, Nico. You’re amazing,” Karolina squeezes the palm of Nico’s hand as she finishes going over all the designs so far. Nico smiles, that true smile that Karrie earns more often than anyone else.

“Great. We are on track right now with all of your photos sent to the printing department and most of the framing and glass ordered. Thank you for getting all your photos in so early too,” Nico thanks Karrie since they managed to finalize their lists last week. Karolina blushes and bites her lip, looking down at the ground for a second before glancing up through her lashes,

“I actually was going to ask you about that… Say I wanted to add one more…”

Nico sighs and shakes her head just slightly as she looks at Karolina. They’d discussed this last week and the photographer had assured her that the list was good.

“Karrie… “

“I know. I know and I’m sorry… Just let me send you the photo first and then you can decide? 

Nico should say no. They already sent the files out to print. Yet, when Karolina’s bottom lip pouts out just a bit and her eyes plead with Nico to give in, she does so with a sigh.

“Okay. Send it to me. Soon!” Nico gives her best boss impression but Karrie just smiles wide and nods.

“Yes! Trust me.”

And Nico does. That’s the whole problem.

When they’re packing up their stuff, Nico still has half a coffee left so they decide to chill for a while longer and just talk. 

Conversation with Karrie comes so easily, allowing an hour to pass by with no effort or awareness. Karolina gets a text and bites her lip as she reads it. Nico wrinkles her eyebrows at that reaction and when Karrie looks back up she has an apologetic look.

“Sorry. My friend, Julie, is coming into town this weekend and she has some questions,” Karolina explains.

“Oh. Is she a friend from LA?” Nico asks, trying to remember if she’s heard about a Julie, yet.

“Yeah! Well, she’s actually my ex-girlfriend? Still a friend, but yeah, we dated in high school,” Karolina says and for once she seems awkward and unable to get her words right. 

Nico feels her stomach clench when she processes what Karolina is saying. Karrie’s ex-girlfriend is coming to New York to visit her. That’s not good. It’s not bad, but right now Nico can only see not good. What if she comes into town and they hook up?

What if they get back together?

What if she convinces Karolina to move back to California and never talk to Nico again?

Okay, that last one is a little extreme but Nico can see the spiral.

Nico realizes she should probably say something so she ducks her head and nods,

“Cool cool. What do you guys have planned?” 

She doesn’t want to know, but she doesn’t want Karolina to know that so she listens and tries not to seem too upset when Karolina outlines her plans.

“Well, obviously we are gonna check out the museum. I think we’re gonna go to this drag performance on Friday night and then I think I’m gonna have a little get together at my place on Saturday so she can meet some more of my friends. Oh! Nico, you have to come,” Karrie’s eyes light up when she gives the invitation and leans in slightly. Nico raises her eyebrows and tries to think of any excuse not to go. She hasn’t been to Karolina’s apartment yet and she wants to see where the photographer lives but in the company of her ex? Not on her bucket list.

Except, she’s not doing anything Saturday night and she doesn’t want to lie. She doesn’t think she convincingly could when it comes to Karolina.

“Okay, sure.”

“Amazing! Let me give you my address. I can’t believe you’ve never been to my place. Well, technically I share it with Chase so it’s our place. This is gonna be so fun,” Karolina rambles on and Nico can’t help but get excited when her crush is so happy. It’s a weird feeling having her own emotions so tied to someone else’s. She can’t imagine being happy if Karolina was sad and she also can’t stay upset when Karolina gets like this.

“Alright, calm down. It’s only Monday and we have a lot to do before the weekend,” Nico rolls her eyes but it’s good-natured and Karolina blushes just a bit when she realizes how worked up she’d gotten.

“You’re right. How’re your classes going? I’ve seen your studio project, which is great, but anything else happening?” Karolina asks and the two girls ease into school talk and away from the weekend and ex-girlfriends. 

Nico doesn’t mind that dusk is beginning to fall by the time they leave because the setting sun paints Karolina in golden light.

“This is my favorite time of day,” Karolina sighs as they walk side by side to the train.

“Of course, it is. Such a photographer,” Nico teases the blonde for her love of golden hour.

Karolina laughs and doesn’t deny it. Instead, she takes a few long strides forward and turns around so she’s facing Nico with her phone camera on.

“No, Karriee, please,” she whines once she realized what’s happening. Her smile never falters, though, and when Karolina falls back into step beside her she shows her that it was actually an Instagram story video.

“I’m tagging you,” Karolina says smugly and Nico blushes as she hears her voice on loop. 

“You’re cruel,” Nico rolls her eyes and Karolina smiles as she sends the story.

“And you’re adorable,” she counters and Nico feels her heartbeat speed up at the small compliment.

They part ways at the corner of a street, Nico going north and Karolina south. Nico holds her breath when Karolina leans in and wraps her in a brief, but tight, hug.

“Bye, Nico,” she says as she pulls away and Nico can hardly get her thoughts together enough to return the sentiment.

 

* * *

The weeks pass by so quickly near the end of the semester and this one is no different. Suddenly, it’s Friday and Nico is equal parts frustrated and tired from the amount of work she’s had to do the past few days. All she really wants to do is drink some wine and pass out after a good binge, so she calls up Alex and they make plans for a pizza night in.

No matter how tired of people she is, Nico can’t help the urge to text her crush and see what Karolina is doing. She hasn’t seen her, except for around work, since Monday. The goth Asian quickly types out a short message, 

“Well I sure am glad this week is over”

Usually, Karolina is a quick message and Nico’s text are read within five minutes. Which is why an hour later when Alex and she are halfway through the classic Scream movie and there’s been no reply, Nico is a little disappointed. She’s not one to double text, but she can get away with sending a snapchat while there are still unread texts. Different platforms.

Nico quickly snaps a picture of an open pizza book and the tv screen in the background, writing “therapy” across it and sends it to the first person on her list of suggested. Nico had almost forgotten about snapchat before befriending Karolina, but the blonde still used it.

“Are you texting Karolina, again?” Alex asks when he notices how distracted his best friend is.

Nico rolls her eyes, but bites the inside of her cheek and sighs,

“Trying. She’s not responding…”

“It’s a Friday night. Not everyone is as lame as us,” Alex shrugs and Nico nods. Suddenly, she remembers what was happening this weekend.

“Oh my god. Her ex is in town,” Nico groans and lets her head roll back. 

“Oh, shiiit,” Alex blows out a stream of air and reaches for the pause button. He can already sense the impending Nico spiral.

“Fuck. I’m over here, texting and snapchatting her and she’s probably off having some fancy night out with her ex-girlfriend who is staying at her place for the weekend,” Nico shakes her head with a forced laugh. 

“Nico, it’s probably not like that at all,” Alex tries to reason, but Nico is already up and pacing.

“No? Then why hasn’t she responded to me? If she was having a terrible time, she’d be on her phone. Instead, she’s totally invested in her personal ex-girlfriend time,” Nico explains and Alex can tell she truly believes this logic.

“Or her phone is dead? Maybe, they went to a show and her phone is on silent? Nico, just because you think it doesn’t make it true,” Alex points out with eyebrows raised. It might seem harsh, but he knows by now that the only way to get Nico to listen is to be brutally honest. Nico likes honesty. This gets her to stop pacing and look back at Alex with a look of frustration. They stare at each other for a few more seconds before Nico sighs.

“Okay… Fine, I’ll let it go,” Nico sits back down and turns toward the tv with a huff,

“You can play the movie now.”

They finish the rest of the movie and Alex lets her crash on the couch. It’s after midnight before she gets a reply from Karolina.

“Omg I’m sorry bout the late reply”

“I hope your diy therapy helped”

Nico can’t help the slight smile as she reads the text, even if they are three hours later.

“It’s okay I forgot you had a visitor. I didn’t mean to bother you”

“And it did. Especially the wine”

Nico feels better when the typing bubble pops up almost immediately.

“Nico you could never bother me”

“My phone died from overuse :/”

Shit, Alex was right. Also, Nico can never bother her?? Her heart speeds up and she turns over onto her side, bringing her phone in closer.

“how was your day with Julie?”

Nico can’t help but hope for some complaints.

“Good! I’m really happy to be in bed now though”

Too much to hope for. She yawns, her body agreeing with Karolina’s text.

“I get it. We should both go to sleep”

She doesn’t say she would stay up all night if that meant talking to Karrie.

“Goodnight, Nico <3 can't wait to see you tomorrow night”

Nico stares at the little heart for far too long before she types out her own reply,

“Night Karrie! I’ll be there :)”

 

* * *

Nico knows that both Chase and Karolina come from well-off families, so it shouldn’t be surprising that when she and Alex show up to the address Karolina gave her it’s a trendy downtown condo building that has obviously been redone in recent years. The outside remains seemingly discreet with white bricks and black fire escapes along the side, but a quick glance inside shows off all new furnishings and immaculately kept spaces, including a small garden. A real rarity around New York.

It almost reminds her of her parent’s old townhouse that before they moved into their own modern home when Nico was in middle school. She hated the new house and all of its slick white lines and lack of history, but her parents never asked her what she wanted.

Alex, who Nico pressured into coming with her, whistles in admiration while they wait for the elevator (an actual elevator) to take them to the third floor. The doors slide open and Nico can quickly distinguish which of the two entryways is Karolina’s by the floral door decor and the noises escaping the crack in the door.

“Why is it that every time I agree to come somewhere with you I end up feeling underdressed?” Alex asks as they push open the door and Nico rolls her eyes.

“The place is nice, but Karolina told me this was going to be super casual,” Nico explains and right on cue, she spots Karrie in the open concept living room talking to a group of friends. She’s wearing cute striped cotton shorts with a loose white t-shirt and her hair is tied back in a long braid. As always, she’s effortlessly beautiful and Nico can’t help but stare as her head tilts back in a laugh.

“Okay, now I get it,” Alex nods, tracking Nico’s eyes to the object of her affection.

“Shut up. She’s coming over,” Nico hushes him with a punch to the arm and watches as Karolina notices the duo at the door and quickly excuses herself to come to greet them.

“Nico! I’m so glad you’re here! And you brought Alex, that’s so awesome,” Karolina immediately wraps the shorter girl in a hug and Nico breathes in the refreshing scent of gardenia and mint. It’s obvious that Karrie has already started to drink judging by the pink blush on her cheeks and her wide smile.

“It’s nice to meet you, Karolina. Thanks for having me,” Alex introduces himself and Karolina waves it off.

“Oh, it’s no problem. I’ve been dying to meet you,” she admits, eager to get to know one of Nico’s closest friends.

“Yeah, same. It’s not often that someone manages to break through Nico’s tough exterior,” Alex laughs and Nico rolls her eyes at the two.

“It wasn’t easy,” Karolina winks and Nico steps in,

“Alright, I get it. I’m an asshole, but somehow you two like me anyway.”

Karolina shakes her head fondly,

“I wouldn’t say that. You’re… guarded,” she decides on a better word and Alex nods in agreement.

“You’re also kinda an asshole,” Alex shrugs and they all laugh.

“Do you guys want something to drink? The kitchen is over there and I can make you something! I have tequila, vodka and whiskey as well as your usual mixers,” Karolina offers as the host and they agree, following her into the kitchen.

“Your place is kind of awesome, Karolina,” Nico says, looking around at the decor. She can see influences of both Karolina’s bohemian style and a more old-school look that must come from Chase.

“Thanks! It’s technically Chase’s parents. They bought it when he was a freshman so he could live here and then after college they’re going to rent it out. If Chase moves,” Karolina explains as she grabs a bottle of whiskey, a mid-shelf label and pours two fingers. She hands the drink to Nico and Alex raises his eyebrows, since his friend didn’t even have to ask for her go-to drink.

“What would you like, Alex?” She asks and Alex gets a vodka Sprite.

Suddenly, a purple-haired woman appears with an annoyed look on her face.

“Please tell Chase that if he plays one more Drake song I will throw his expensive speakers out the window,” Gert complains, before noticing the two newcomers.

“Oh, hey, Nico. Nico’s friend. Welcome to Casa la bourgeoisie,” Gert gestures to the condo.

“Okay, one you just combined French and Spanish and ruined both. Two, he’s your boyfriend and three, you couldn’t even lift Chase’s expensive speakers to throw them out,” Karolina tilts her head at her friend, who groans and sends a performative glare at the tall blonde. 

“Now, properly introduce yourself to ‘Nico’s friend’.”

Gert sighs, but turns back toward Alex and Nico.

“I’m Gert, Karolina’s unofficial best friend and official social conscience,” Gert introduces herself. Alex nods,

“I’m Alex. Nico’s best and up until recently only friend.”

“Harsh, I like it. Come meet my idiot boyfriend. You seem like you’ll have better taste in music than him,” Gert smiles and leads Alex off, leaving Karolina and Nico in the kitchen.

“Well, that went well. Um, so, where’s Julie?” Nico asks, remembering the point of this party.

“Oh! She’s over there,” Karolina points to a woman with long strawberry blonde hair and an athletic build. She’s talking to a few other people and Nico is surprised to see her leading the conversation despite only just meeting Karolina’s New York friends.

“Come, I’ll introduce you,” Karolina smiles fondly down at Nico who looks apprehensive. Any doubt vanishes though when Karolina grabs her hand to pull her out of the kitchen. She focuses on the soft skin, squeezing her own hand and misses the look that Julie gives when she notices her ex-girlfriend holding another woman’s hand.

“Hey, guys. This is Nico, she’s my partner over at the Met. She works in exhibit design and goes to Columbia, so she’s basically a genius,” Karrie winks down at her, but Nico just rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, hardly. Karolina has a tendency to see the best in people,” Nico teases.

“And Nico has a tendency to get humble in front of new people. Trust me, if you ever see her in her element there is none of this shyness,” Karolina raises her eyebrows, looking at Nico. They stare at each other for another beat before another voice joins the mix,

“Hi, Nico. I’m Julie. I’m sure you know who I am,” she introduces herself, a tone of cockiness peeking through. Nico bites her cheek and nods.

“Heard a bit. How’re you liking New York?” 

“Nico’s a local, so she’s probably going to criticize all the tourist activities,” Karolina explains, glancing between her ex and her partner. If she notices any tension, she doesn’t let on.

“It’s been great! Karrie is an excellent guide. Cute and informative,” Julie smiles and Nico tries not to let her growing anger come through. The other people in the group introduce themselves, most of them Tisch students, as well. Nico gets along well with all of them, but she can’t shake the feeling that Julie doesn’t like her. There’s no outright hostility, but Julie tries to one-up Nico whenever possible.

Chase, Alex, and Gert join their group and Nico is happy to see that Alex has quickly gotten along with the couple. She’s watching Chase and Alex play beer pong (Alex holding his own surprisingly well) when she notices that Karolina isn’t in the main room anymore.

“Hey, Gert. Which room is Karrie’s? I have to use the bathroom,” she asks and Gert points over to one of the bedroom doors. 

“Thanks,” Nico says and walks over to the door, noticing it’s cracked. She pushes it open a bit and peeks her head in, about to call out when she notices two figures. It’s Karolina and Julie and Nico comes in just as Julie moves in for a kiss, neither one facing Nico. That’s the moment Nico feels her heart stop beating. Every dark thought she had about Julie’s visit comes rushing back and she stumbles backward out of the room. Her vision blurs and the music that a second ago boomed in the background fades as she tries to regain her breathing. Too caught up in the party, no one notices as Nico begins to panic. Of course, Karolina is getting back with her ex. Julie is gorgeous, funny and open. Whatever feelings Nico might have thought Karolina harbored, they obviously don’t matter. They had a history. Nico is just the asshole who stormed out of meetings and didn’t make friends.

Nico notices the window connecting the fire escape is open, so she climbs through, letting the cool air hit her cheeks. She sits on the edge and presses her palms to her eyes, realizing they’re wet with tears.

Shaking her head, Nico wills herself to stop. What would her mother think of her now, sitting on a fire escape crying over a girl? She sets her jaw and takes a big breath. When she finally regains her composure, at least on the outside, she turns her attention to watching the people on the street.

Nico wonders if any of them just had their heart broken, too, and then chuckles at the admission. That’s what it feels like. She hasn’t even kissed Karolina, but this feels worse than when her high school boyfriend broke up with her two days before prom. Not that she wanted to go anyway. This is worse because Nico didn’t even have a chance. She is forced to imagine a world where she never gets to kiss Karolina herself. This was always a possibility, but Nico deluded herself into thinking she had a choice in that fact. Now, she wonders if there was ever hope at all.

The lights of the city flicker and she hears multiple parties going on in the distance. If the circumstances were better, Nico thinks she’d love sitting out here. Ten minutes pass before anyone joins her.

“Nico? There you are… I thought you left,” Karolina crawls through the window and settles herself beside the shorter girl.

“Nope. Needed some air,” Nico dismisses Karolina’s thought. She doesn’t look over at the blonde, afraid of what she’ll see. Either pity or joy, neither option sounds good to Nico.

“I was worried. I didn’t think you’d just leave Alex, so I thought something bad might have happened,” Karolina expresses concern, trying to place a hand on Nico’s knee. The Asian woman flinches at the touch and Karolina draws her hand back, confused and hurt.

“You don’t have to worry about me, Karolina. I’m sure you have better things to do than sit out here,” Nico finds her voice raw and scratchy as she finally looks over. She sees two bright blue eyes staring her down, a mixture of unreadable emotions there. 

“Nico, what’s going on?”

Finally, Nico sighs and lets her gaze drop to her hands. Even if Karolina is back with her ex, she could never let her friend think she’s mad. Seeing Karolina upset pains her too much.

“I’m okay, Karolina… I promise. I just felt a little dizzy and wanted some quiet. I didn’t mean for you to leave Julie and come out here,” Nico spins her lie, her true emotions shine through though and she can’t help the comment about Julie.

“Actually, I’m glad for a reason to get out of there,” Karolina shakes her head and bites her lip as she debates something.

“Julie… she tried to kiss me.”

Nico doesn’t try and feign surprise. Even if she hadn’t walked in on it, Julie was possessive and flirtatious all night. Luckily, Karolina is too caught up in her own thoughts to notice the lack of a reaction.

“I used to love Julie, but I never intended for her to try something like that during this visit. I’ve moved on and I guess she hasn’t,” Karolina explains and Nico feels her heart race. Karolina didn’t want Julie?

“Really? If you used to love her, what changed?” 

She’s trying to be supportive and listen to what Karolina is saying, but Nico also has selfish reasons for that question. Is it me? Do you like me now?

“I have. I’m not the naive girl I was in high school, who thought everything was rainbows and butterflies. Julie was a teen romance and my first love, but that feels like a different person. A smaller one. I’m finally at a point in my life where I feel free, to be honest about who I am and who I want to be with,” Karolina lets her gaze move from Nico to the skyline as she tells her reasons. Nico smiles softly, looking at her beautiful crush’s profile. Leave it to Karrie to come out and instantly fix any hurt that Nico had felt. Her braid has gotten progressively messier since the party started, but still, Karolina looks perfect. They sit in a comfortable silence after that. Their shoulders leaning together. The casual intimacy, so small, feels euphoric after the stress of their night. Nico isn’t sure how much time passes before Karrie speaks up again,

“Hey, this week was so crazy I totally forgot to send you that last photo. It might be too late now, but… do you want to see it? I think it’s my favorite,” Karolina suggests and Nico nods. They stand and Karolina leads the way back into the house. Nico spots Julie sulking in a corner and doesn’t miss the glare this time when Karolina grabs her hand and pulls her to her bedroom. They leave the door open, so people don’t get the wrong idea and Karolina pulls up her computer and opens the file labeled ‘For Nico’. The designer assumes that means to send to her, until the picture loads and she sees the subject.

It’s her.

The lighting is gold and Nico recognizes the background as their favorite cafe. She’s smiling softly at the camera, or rather, the girl behind it. Fuck, it’s so obvious how she feels in that moment. Anyone can see what this is.

This is a portrait of a woman in love.


	6. the cliff walk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A semester of work, disagreement, laughter and developing feelings leads up to this night. Their exhibit is ready and the future is bright.

It’s all coming together. As the internship is wrapping up and graduation nears, Nico feels a shift. Things are falling into place and it feels amazing. She’s applying to jobs, wrapping up her studio time, and even her parents are beginning to see the potential behind their younger daughter working in the arts. Her mother called her the other day to announce that their publicist thinks that making a sizable donation to a museum would be good for the Minoru’s and their company and being able to tout that their daughter is apart of the humanities adds an authentic aspect to the move.

Sure, Nico wishes they could respect her career choices for their own merit, but if this means they will finally stop badgering her to take a job at Wizard she’s happy. 

Then there’s Karolina… After the party and everything that happened that night, Nico definitely felt a shift. She doesn’t pretend like she’s not interested in Karolina since that is obviously a lost cause. Still, nothing has progressed, really.

They talk constantly, go to coffee shops together, walk around the museum after work, and lately, spend hours working out the last kinks on their exhibit. Nico loves every minute she gets to spend with Karolina, but she doesn’t know how to take it past that. They’re both really busy and the stress of graduation looms overhead. She’s trying to be patient but it’s hard, even though Karolina seems happy to dance around it and even tease Nico about her clear affections.

That’s probably the most frustrating, yet wonderful new aspect of their relationship.

 

* * *

 

It’s past 9 on a Thursday night and Nico doesn’t think she will be going home anytime soon. Strictly speaking, the museum is closed. It’s been closed for several hours actually, but the interns have been allowed to stay later. There are quite a few groups milling around the area that has been converted into a small exhibit hall. Curtains separate each one for now, but in only a few days they will all open to reveal a semester’s worth of hard work. Of course, if you’re close to someone they may allow you to peak in at their exhibit. Nico isn’t close to anyone though, besides her partner, and she has made it clear that their exhibit was off limits until show day.

Nico is working with some of the nameplates to assure they are all correct and appealing when she feels a hand ghost across her shoulders and hot tea is placed to her right.

The hand grows heavier where it lands on the base of her neck and presses in, fingers kneading at the knots there.

“You’re always looking down,” Karolina sighs as she feels the tension that has built up from Nico’s poor posture as she works. Nico lets loose a small moan at the feeling and lifts her head.

“I work on a laptop. It’s hard not to,” Nico explains herself and Karolina hums in acknowledgment. 

“Still. It’s not good for you to be so hunched. You don’t want to be one of those old ladies who looks like a question mark,” Karolina suggests, her voice light even as her fingers continue to work on her partner’s neck.

“I’ll have you know, I usually have great posture. Tina always insisted that slouching made you ugly,” Nico rolls her eyes.

“Oh, so this is a form of rebellion then,” Karolina laughs and she moves around to sit across from Nico. The designer sighs at the loss of contact but smiles when she can see Karrie’s bright blue eyes looking back at her.

“Everything I do is a rebellion in my mother’s eyes,” Nico shrugs and Karolina nods in understanding. She pushes the cup forward then, indicating that the tea is for Nico.

“Thank you,” Nico pops open the lid so it can cool, letting the scent of oolong waft out. 

“Of course. You’re working so hard to make my photos look this impressive. It’s the least I can do,” Karolina lets her eyes wander to the various photos that paint the walls. Nico follows her gaze, letting herself feel awe and pride when she sees her crush’s work on the walls of the Met. Sure, it’s not for the public to view, but one day it could be.

“Yeah, I don’t have to do much for your photos to be impressive, Karrie. You’re so amazing I’m pretty sure they’d look good printed on a postcard and taped to the wall,” Nico compliments her, exaggerating slightly to prove a point.

“Whatever,” Karrie rolls her eyes, but when they land back on Nico they crinkle with happiness.

“So what can I do?” She asks next. There’s not too much left, just some lighting and the nameplates, but it’s a lot for one person.

“Um, you can finish this up. You know the info better than me anyway. I’ll work on the lights,” Nico offers. Standing and spinning her laptop around to let Karolina work.

“Okay! Wait, are you trying to make me the question mark, now?” Karolina narrows her eyes with suspicion and Nico just stares back with eyebrows raised.

“Yes. Now get to it,” Nico finally says and Karrie lets out a laugh. The sound fills the mostly empty space and it seems like music to Nico. They work together in relative silence for a while, only speaking when one has a question. It’s not uncomfortable, but eventually, Karolina speaks up,

“Nico, can I turn on some music? You have Spotify on here, right?”

“Sure. Here,” Nico walks over to pull up the music streaming app, then allows Karrie to take control. She’s about to turn back to the lights when she hears a familiar song and she almost gasps. It’s the song from the club. Nico never bothered to look it up, but the moment she hears it the memory is clear. She turns back around and raises an eyebrow when she sees Karolina’s smug smile already directed at her.

“What?” The photographer asks, but her voice says she knows exactly what’s happening.

“Cruel,” Nico shakes her head.

“I like this song,” Karolina says like there isn’t meaning behind it. This is the first time they’ve talked about that night and they aren’t really saying anything yet. Nico doesn’t know what to say. She keeps it light.

“Oh, I bet you do,” Nico says with some suggestion. Karolina smirks but doesn’t say anything, so Nico thinks that’s it. She isn’t expecting what Karrie says next,

“What would have happened? If Chase didn’t get wasted, I mean.”

Nico opens her mouth then shuts it again. I would have kissed you, she thinks. I would have kissed you and I wouldn’t have stopped and maybe we’d have gone back to my dorm or maybe we would have gone to yours and maybe I would know how you taste and how you feel and you’d know what I sound like when I come or maybe not. She doesn’t say any of that, though. Instead, she shrugs,

“Who knows. We’d all been drinking.”

It’s a cop out and they both know it, but Karolina doesn’t push. Ten minutes later someone comes by to escort them all out of the building and Nico calls a Lyft because it’s too late to take public transportation. She doesn’t stop thinking about that question until she falls asleep with the look of subtle disappointment on Karolina’s face lingering in her mind.

 

* * *

 

It’s warm and the sky is clear the night of the exhibition. Everything is done and it looks really good. The photos tell a clear story of acceptance and struggle within the City’s queer communities. The design amplifies this and allows the viewer to journey with them as they explore the people and places that make New York so vibrant. Nico doesn’t think they’re being cocky when Karrie and she agree that their exhibit is one of the best ones there. They’re both dressed up, Nico in a high-quality black suit and Karolina in a beautiful peach gown that makes her glow. They stand in front of their exhibit ready to show off as the doors open and friends and family make their way in.

Nico invited her parent’s, but she doesn’t think they’ll come. Amy promised to be here, though, and Alex is as supportive as always. Karolina’s parents are still in California, but Chase and Gert are expected to come and Gert’s little sister, Molly, even came into the city to see Karolina’s hard work. As the people walk in, each gravitating toward the group that invited them, Karolina reaches over and squeezes Nico’s hand. They did it.

“Hey! Oh my gosh, this is it,” Molly is the first one to run up to the pair. Nico has yet to meet Gert’s younger sister, but can instantly see why everyone is so protective and fond of her.

“Molly! I’m so glad you’re here! This is Nico,” Karolina introduces the high schooler to her partner. Molly smiles knowingly and looks back at Gert who is walking up at normal pace with Chase and Alex. Nico can only imagine what Gert has told Molly about her and Karolina.

“Hey, Molly. Thanks for coming,” Nico says, her eyes moving across the whole group as she thanks them.

“This is really cool, guys. Can you show us around?” Chase asks, looking at the few walls that are covered with Karrie’s work.

“Of course! Come on,” Karolina walks them over to the unofficial starting point and Nico trails behind. She watches with a smile as Karrie talks with her hands and explains more about each of her photos. Nico knows the story behind every piece on the wall. The memories of Karolina as she so passionately told Nico about each person she photographed are easy to recall. That’s how Nico knows that Karolina is a true artist. These aren’t just photos to her, each one is a person with a story and you can see that.

They’re almost done touring the exhibit with their friends when Nico hears her sister’s familiar voice. 

“Amy!” Nico smiles as her big sister makes her way through the exhibit, accompanied by her boyfriend, Jeremy.

“Hi! Nico, you remember Jeremy,” Amy introduces the taller man by her side. Nico nods and looks him up and down. She briefly remembers meeting him last semester at a Wizard Event but didn’t realize Amy was still dating him.

“Yeah, of course. Hi, Jeremy,” Nico shakes his hand when he offers.

“Hi, Nico. Nice to see you again. Amy was so excited to come to show off her little sister,” Jeremy smiles. Nico ducks her head to hear that her sister was looking forward to this.

“What’s the series about?” Amy asks, genuinely interested and Nico smiles fondly at her sister before she starts to explain.

“This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots so Karolina embarked on a journey to catalog and explore the LGBT communities of New York in order to show how they have evolved and stayed the same within that time. Everything is shot on 50mm color film and there’s an emphasis on portraits, although not everything falls into that,” Nico loves this project and adores the woman behind the lens so it is easy to tell them with enthusiasm.

“Wow! That’s such a great topic. I can’t believe you guys did this,” Amy shows her admiration and Nico blushes. She’s always looked up to her big sister and even when they fought, she knew Amy had her back at the end of the day.

“Thanks. The project was all Karrie’s idea, though. She’s a true artist,” Nico compliments her partner, making Karolina grin and shrug.

“It would never have made it this far without Nico, though. Not only is she an amazing designer, but she also became an inspiration,” Karolina locks eyes with Nico as she says this. Everyone else melts away for a moment as the partners look at each other in equal awe and gratitude. Two people so opposite, yet together they create breathtaking work.

“I can tell,” Gert smirks, looking at the piece that almost didn’t make it in. Nico’s portrait hangs in the middle of the exhibit, too personal and groundbreaking not to include. All the photos are amazing, but this one feels different. The connection is palpable and it makes Nico squirm to see her sister’s and strangers’ eyes on it. She doesn’t let it linger, though. This is art and art is personal.

“Well, I know you probably have to stand at the front and wait for your supervisors. Jeremy and I will walk around,” Amy leads her boyfriend by the hand and they start to wander the exhibit.

“Yeah, we are going to walk around the other exhibits now,” Chase says. Gert and Molly join him as they move on to the other student’s projects. Karolina and Nico wave them off and hold their breath as the director of curation and both of their supervisors make their way over.

“Hello, ladies. How has the night been?” The director asks them when they stop.

“It’s been lovely. Thank you for the opportunity to have such a night,” Karolina lets her natural charm take over. Nico smiles and nods,

“Yes, thank you all. It’s a perfect evening to cap a truly great internship experience,” Nico may not have Karolina’s effortless draw but she’s been to enough events like this one to know how to speak and act. That is one thing she will thank her parents for. 

“I’m so glad to hear that. We will be walking around the exhibit and taking some notes. Feel free to join us or stay here, but we do ask that the art and the exhibition speak for themselves,” Elise explains, not to any surprise by Nico and Karolina. 

“Of course. If you wanna start over to the left, we hope you enjoy!” 

Nico lets out a shaky breath as they walk over to the signage that explains the inspiration for the series. She’s confident in their work, but there’s always gonna be nerves. 

Amy catches her eye from where she and Jeremy are in the exhibit and raises two thumbs up in encouragement. Nico rolls her eyes but her next breath comes easier.

Then a hand lands on her shoulder and Nico looks back to see Karolina already staring back at her.

“Hi,” Nico mumbles out, losing her train of thought at the sight of Karrie’s excited eyes.

“They love it,” Karrie whispers. Nico chuckles and shakes her head,

“They just got here.”

“Yeah, but they’re gonna love it. I can already tell,” Karrie shrugs and Nico can’t help but believe her. It’s the subtle confidence that Karolina gives off that makes everything look so easy and the reason so many girls find themselves wrapped around her long finger. Nico included.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Nico sighs, letting her eyes linger on the judges for a second longer before she turns to look out at all the student exhibits. The place is buzzing with nerves and excitement and it’s easy to spot the interns amongst the crowds of friends and family.

Nico eyes all the exhibits and wonders how she would have set them up if she was in their place. Now that she’s gained a little experience she can’t look at their exhibits without wondering. 

“Nico?” Karrie pulls her out of her thoughts with a fond smile. She’s not upset that Nico wasn’t listening instead it’s like she wants to know the shorter girl’s thoughts.

“Hm, sorry. I guess I got stuck in my head. What’d you say?”

“I was asking if you wanted to walk around with me? They’re still looking at the series and we have a while till the end of the night,” Karolina offers and Nico nods and links her arm with the blonde’s.

“Great! Where should we start?”

“Anywhere but textiles,” Nico shrugs to let her disinterest in that particular topic show. Karolina laughs, light and lovely, and Nico feels her heart race knowing she caused it.

“What is it about textiles that you hate so much?” 

“I don’t hate it; I just think they’re boring!”

“If I remember correctly, you weren’t a huge fan of photography when we started either,” Karolina points out as they make their way toward the nearest exhibit, modern art.

“No. I wasn’t a huge fan of a certain photographer. There’s a difference,” Nico rolls her eyes as she references the rough start to their partnership.

“Well, I’m glad you changed your mind about that photographer,” Karolina smiles softly down at Nico who blushes and stutters out a quiet,

“Me too.”

The night passes quickly after that. They catch up with their friends and Amy and it’s nice to see so many of the people they love all together to celebrate with them. When it comes time for their supervisor reviews, their friends leave with a promise that Nico and Karrie would let them know how they did.

Chase tries to convince them they should all go out drinking afterward, but Gert reminds him they have Molly and Nico can’t imagine having enough energy to party after a week like this.

Nico and Karolina stand tall (and small) in front of their exhibit when both of their supervisors and Elise make their way over.

“Hello again, ladies,” Elise smiles and then sticks her hand out. Nico reaches forward to shake it with slight confusion.

“I just wanted to start by saying thank you. This was truly a wonderful, well-thought-out project that had depth and a story. I could easily imagine this as a professional exhibit somewhere. Karolina, you have a beautiful eye for portraiture and while you are young, I can see that the skill and talent are there. Nico, this design is very well-done. Especially for a student. I can tell that you understood Karolina’s series on a deeper level and have used everything at your disposal to help the photography shine. I did have a few notes…” Elise starts to point out a few faults, but Nico can hardly hear a word after that. Her heart rate is through the roof and everything in her wants to grab onto Karolina and squeeze. The head of curation at the Met called their exhibit wonderful and well thought-out. This was it.

The first day she walked up those magical steps into the Met as an intern she thought that her whole life was leading up to that moment. Now she knows that was only the beginning. 

When the critique is over and the group walks away again, Nico finally lets herself breathe. Immediately, she turns to Karolina and just stares with wide eyes and a wider smile. Karolina meets her eyes with equal excitement and grabs Nico’s arms.

“Oh my gosh, Nico. I know I said they’d love it but they actually loved it!” Karolina whispers with her voice rough with emotion and leftover tension. Nico feels her own heartbeat begin to level out with the scratch of her voice and just shakes her head.

“You were right. They loved it,” Nico repeats the last part, still in disbelief. Except, yeah, she can believe it. They poured their souls into this project and they are both wildly talented at their crafts, so of course, they loved it.

“You’re going to get an awesome recommendation from Elise. Do you know how many doors that will open?” 

“Yeah, yeah, I absolutely do. Fuck, I’m actually gonna do it, huh?” Nico blinks slowly as the realization of how close to success she is. That she is going to prove her mother wrong and have the life she has dreamed of since she was 12.

“Baby, you’re already doing it,” Karolina smiles and Nico takes a sharp breath at the pet name that so easily fell off Karolina’s lips.

“Fuck. So are you, though!” 

The two girls bask in heavy joy as the final evaluations are given. Neither one wants to leave the other’s side and despite the fatigue, Nico felt only an hour ago, she feels alive and buzzing with satisfaction and pride. Out on the street, the familiar bustle and energy of New York only feed this feeling and Nico finds herself giddy and unable to suppress a soft smile. Which, usually she’s really good at so that’s saying something. They wander, shoulders brushing, down the sidewalk and around the edge of the museum. No words flow between them, but somehow Nico can tell exactly where Karrie’s at and what she’s thinking. As they sit on a bench and their fingers lace together, she feels this connection between them like a silk tie, tightening into a knot around the hands. It’s strong, yet beautiful and soft.

The nerves of the day have long since been replaced by this euphoric feeling of accomplishment and love for the girl beside her. Nico laughs at that thought.

When she doesn’t stop giggling, Karrie is forced to turn to her with twinkling eyes and a perfect smile,

“What’s going on?”

Nico just stops and takes a deep breath before she sighs out,

“I love you, Karrie.”

Karolina’s smile widens and she doesn’t pause before she says back,

“I love you too, Nico.”

“Okay, great. Can I kiss you now?” Nico finally asks the question that has been burning her tongue for weeks. She hopes Karolina won’t be able to feel the scars as her partner nods and says,

“Please.”

Then she’s leaning in and Nico closes her eyes and presses her lips to Karolina’s for the first time. As soon as they touch, Nico knows it won’t be the last. That this was the beginning of a dangerous addiction and Nico doesn’t do drugs, but she might indulge in this one.

It’s not fireworks or movie magic, but it is all-consuming and right. Karolina’s lips are soft and sweet and everything Nico was searching for before she even knew it herself. She feels Karrie’s hand come up and cup her face and Nico tilts her head into the warmth, allowing her mouth to open slightly as she does. Her partner takes that space and fills it with a warm dip of her tongue and Nico smiles into the kiss because she truly can’t believe her luck.

When they pull apart, Nico leans her head against Karrie’s forehead and they both smile.

“You know, I’ve been waiting for you to kiss me for a long time,” Karolina admits with no admonishment, but her cheeks are flush, to begin with.

“You could have said something, then,” Nico points out with a chuckle.

“If I had asked you to kiss me a month ago, you would have panicked and this project would have gotten very awkward and not have gone as wonderfully as it did,” Karolina expertly reasons with the small woman whom she is still inches away from.

Nico scoffs, yet she is impressed with how easily Karolina could read her. Nico couldn’t admit it herself, but she wasn’t ready before.

“I’m not panicking now,” Nico says instead of protesting. She’s done wasting time when Karolina is so beautiful and so close and so willing.

“Then I think we should keep kissing,” Karolina winks and Nico tries not to swoon right there.

They kiss again and again and again. Each one more intense than the last until Nico pulls away with a panting breath. She knows it’s not appropriate to straddle Karolina on a park bench and she begins to realize how late and public it really is.

“At the risk of sounding very forward- do you want to go somewhere more private?”

“What? No date first?” Karolina asks but immediately laughs when Nico pales. 

“I’m joking. Let’s go to my place. Chase is staying at Gert’s since Molly is in town,” the photographer agrees and stands, offering a hand to Nico who immediately takes it. They walk together to the street and find a taxi there, Karrie giving her street corner to the driver.

“To be clear, I do want to take you on a date,” Nico says once they are on their way. Karolina’s hand has moved from Nico’s own to her thigh and is tracing circles there. Their eyes are only on each other and the sights pass by in a blur of color and light, none so captivating as Karrie’s eyes.

“I know. I want to go on a date with you, too. Maybe tomorrow?” she smiles in return and Nico nods eagerly. She doesn’t feel a need to be coy any longer.

When the driver lets them off, Nico feels her nerves start to build with anticipation again. They had barely come down from the exhibition, but this is for a very different reason. Nico isn’t afraid, right now. She’s never felt so assured and comfortable than in this moment. They’re in no rush when they walk up the street to Karrie’s building and the blonde lets them in. The elevator ride is hushed and Nico feels her breath puff out in stilts when Karolina leans into her space enough to let her subtle perfume reach Nico’s nose even hours after she tapped it on. It’s intoxicating and Nico follows the scent with her lips, pressing them against the point where Karolina’s jaw reaches her neck. The doors slide open and they stumble out and to her door, Karrie’s deft fingers quickly unlocking it even as Nico lets her hands come out and touch Karolina’s back and squeeze at her hip. As soon as the door clicks behind Karolina’s back, Nico is pressing her into it and stealing the surprised gasp straight from Karrie’s pink lips.

She wastes no time in leading with her thigh, knowing right where to place it to trap Karolina against the solid wood frame. She has to tip her head back and point her toes, but she can reach the gorgeous girl’s lips and when Karolina sighs into the kiss, Nico knows it’s over.

They stumble through the living room to Karrie’s door and help each other remove the layers of shoes and clothes that are just in the way from what they both need now. Pushing Karolina back onto the bed, Nico has her first real look at the blonde with nothing but her lace bikini panties on. Her hair is disheveled and her makeup smudged, but nothing Nico has seen in her endless hours at the Met compares to this piece of art. 

“Fuck, baby. You’re so gorgeous,” Nico shakes her head in disbelief and Karolina blushes and pulls Nico down onto her. She’s probably been called beautiful a thousand times before, but Nico tries to express how this time is different. That this isn’t just about her long hair or her tanned skin and this isn’t even about her blue eyes and perfect smile. That she sees a light in Karrie that shines on even against the blackest of nights and how she may be dark dark dark but she’ll never stop soaking in Karrie’s warmth.

She touches this woman softly but with intent. If she has only one chance, which Nico doesn’t think is true, then she wants Karolina to burn with pleasure at the memory. She coaxes cries of desire with her fingers and earns low moans of her name with her tongue. Karolina tastes like nothing else and Nico wants to remember this moment forever. She presses and pulls and sucks and none of it is enough until she feels Karolina tipping over the edge with a gasp and a twitch of the hips and long fingers bring her up to meet soft lips.

Nico imagines what those same agile fingers will feel like inside herself, but she only gets to fantasize for a moment before it becomes reality as Karolina reaches down further. She feels how easy it is for the blonde to go from one to two and knows she won’t last long. It’s the feeling of Karolina’s mouth on her chest, kissing, biting and marking her that does it for Nico and she comes with a whine of ‘Karrie’ into her ear.

As they both wind down from their highs, Nico settles onto her side, her head resting on Karolina’s shoulder. She feels Karolina running her fingers up and down her back and even after everything it makes her shiver. Karolina must feel it because she reaches for the blanket that’s scrunched at the bottom of the bed and pulls it over the two of them.

“Thanks,” Nico mumbles, punctuating the gratitude with a kiss to Karolina’s shoulder. The photographer hums and leans her chin into Nico’s forehead so their heads rest together.

“I love you,” Karolina says for the second time and a smile immediately blooms across Nico’s face.

“Yeah? Even though I was a total dick to you when we met?” Nico asks, despite knowing the answer. 

“Even though you were a dick to me. Yeah, I love you. Is that weird considering we literally just got together?”

“No. I think we both know how long this has been growing between us. Plus, I said I love you first,” Nico shrugs. 

“Wait. Is that what this is then? Are we like together? A couple, I mean,” Nico stumbles through her words.

“If you want it to be, then yes. I’m all in if you are, baby,” Karolina smiles down at the woman laying on her and tries not to laugh at how cute and flustered Nico looks. They just had (really good) sex, but Nico gets embarrassed while defining the relationship. It fits.

“Okay. Good. Yeah. I’d love to be your girlfriend. Wow, that actually feels amazing to say,” Nico lights up at the word girlfriend and Karrie smiles.

“I’d love to be your girlfriend too.”

They lay there for a while longer, talking and laughing until Nico can’t stop the yawns that come through every other minute and they have to admit it’s time to sleep.

“You’re obviously spending the night. Do you want some clothes?” Karolina offers as she pulls make-up wipes out of a drawer in her bathroom. Nico sits at the end of the bed and looks down at her very much naked body and nods.

“Yeah. Clothes would be appreciated.”

Nico watches as her girlfriend, her girlfriend, pads around the room grabbing a couple of big shirts and hands one to Nico along with some make-up wipes.

“Thanks. I can’t imagine how smudged my eyeliner must be right now. I probably look like a raccoon,” Nico shudders at the thought as she rubs her face clean.

“Kinda. It was cute, though! And it’s no problem. That’s one of the perks to dating women, right?”

“I guess that’s true… You know, you’re actually the first girlfriend I’ve had,” Nico admits after a quiet second of thought. She’s known about her bisexuality since she was only 17, but for a few years, it was only a conceptual thing. Then college allowed some more exploration.

“Really? Well, I know that wasn’t your first time fucking a woman, because no newbie can do that with their tongue,” Karolina winks and somehow this makes Nico blush, despite the fact that it’s her tongue they’re talking about. 

“No. I’ve been on a few dates here and there and there were a couple fuck buddies who I kept around. Seriously dating, though? There was only a guy a couple years ago. I thought I might have been in love with him, but he wasn’t who I thought he was,” Nico explains then suddenly panics, because who brings up their ex when they just got together with the crush they’ve been in love with? Surely, she just angered or saddened Karolina, but when she looks up she sees only understanding eyes staring back at her.

“I’m sorry, Nico. I promise I will always be honest about who I am and who I want to be with,” Karolina steps into Nico’s space and tucks a strand of dark hair behind her ear. It’s a beautiful promise, but Nico never had any doubts about that. She knows Karolina and she trusts her in a rare way.

“I know. Now can you please get back in this bed and cuddle me?” 

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am,” Karolina crawls in beside the smaller woman and Nico grabs her hips to pull her in closer. She sighs happily and plants another small kiss on the blonde’s shoulderblade. Karolina smiles at the press of lips to her back and closes her eyes, but not before voicing the obvious.

“Baby, don’t you think you’re a little small to be the big spoon?”

“Shut up.”

**Author's Note:**

> yes I do have another wip for this ship already but this story really wants to be told right now.


End file.
